Tears Of the Red Sky
by creepychii
Summary: What happens when Kenshingumi get themselves mixed up with a girl who might possibly be the most wanted fugitive in town? Danger happens. And it seems like there's more to things than what she lets on.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **This story was set after the last episode of Rurouni Kenshin's second season (after Kenshin beat Shishio and went back to the Kamiya dojo). Let's pretend that the whole Season 3 and all the rest [OVA / movie] didn't happen (except for the Trust and Betrayal OVA [Tomoe's story]) but Kenshingumi already knew about the whole Tomoe affair. This story mentions lots of Japanese stuff and I also made use of some Japanese words. The words and their meanings/definitions are listed in alphabetical order at the end of each chapter. ^_^

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

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**Prologue**

_**Meiji Revolution, Tokugawa Era**_

Nakamura Yoshiro chuckled as he felt Yumi's head fall helplessly on his shoulder. His four year old daughter had been jumping for joy this morning since he told her they would go fishing. She ran around the house squealing with delight and she had been restless until the afternoon came and they finally set out to fish at nearby river. They used to go fishing once a week, but lately he had been busy doing important things for the shogunate that he barely spent time with his three children. He would go on long trips towards the capital to meet with important people, people who needed his help to win the war.

He wasn't a man of war. He didn't even know how to properly wield a sword. He is not familiar about war strategies and such. But though he is not in the front line, his support to the shogunate forces is one of utter importance. He is one of the biggest benefactors of their army. He funded their needs from food, medical care to weaponry. Two of his mansions are currently used as headquarters for the army, one in Kyoto for the Shinsengumi and another one right there in Edo as a hideout for some of their spies.

He didn't really disapprove of the ideals of the opposing force who call themselves the _imperialists_. In fact, he often wondered what the future would be like if their ideals came to be. However, his loyalty to the shogunate weighs greater than his interest for a new age. The shogunate government has taken care of his family even way back from the time of his grandfather, and he believed that they will continue to do so in the years to come. Of course, he was well aware that there were others who were suffering from the current system, but there is also no way of telling that the new government promised by the imperialists would be any better. He was not willing to risk the bright future of his children for an ideal which efficiency is yet to be tested. He decided that he would support the shogunate for as long as he can.

Though he had already contributed a great deal, his role in this revolution had become more important. According to their reliable source, the imperialists were advancing towards making use of western weaponry. If they didn't want to be at a disadvantage, they also needed to upgrade their weapons and tactics. Obtaining firearms was not easy in his country, but being the successful businessman that he is, he has acquired a vast amount of foreign connections over the years. It is now his duty to aid the shogunate in obtaining the new weapons for the army. This whole agenda had consumed most of his time, and hopefully, things will soon set in motion if everything will go as planned.

Now, he was glad of the chance to finally spend time with his family again. He had missed his children terribly. Ever since his wife died of childbirth four years ago, he was consumed with grief that he almost gave in to his depression. His children however, gave him a reason to continue living. Ichiro, his first born, is wise and passionately curious despite his young age of five. He hoped to see him use his intelligence for the good of his country in the future. Chiaki, Ichiro's fraternal twin, is strong and vigilant. He knows she will grow up to be a fine young woman who would always fight for what she thinks is right. And the gentle and loving Yumi, his youngest, who reminds him a lot of his deceased wife, never fails to ease his wearies away.

He felt Yumi squirm in his arms. She snuggled herself deeper into his body, almost burying her face on his neck. Yumi had been hyperactive during their whole fishing adventure that she fell asleep in the middle of their fishing. She also has a weak body that it was no question why she tires so easily. He didn't want to wake her so he carried her as they walked their way back home.

He smiled as he looked at the now dim sky. It was a starless night but the full moon somehow still shone behind the dark clouds. They had finished quite late than they usually would, but he wouldn't have minded if they stayed a bit longer. Chiaki and Ichiro had not wanted to leave until they caught fishes on their own, but it was getting cold and the sky looked redder as the dusk turned into night, a sign that it was about to rain soon. He thought it better to just go home and not risk Yumi's weak body to get caught in the rain. The twins had been arguing who would make their first catch the next time they went fishing. They always argued like that every single time. They always seem to treat everything as some sort of competition, but until now none of them had gotten their first catch yet. Yumi also, would fall asleep in the middle of fishing or on the way home without fail. He had always carried her back home. He had missed all these during the long period that he was away. He thanked _Kami _for the blissful time he was now enjoying. He would give anything just to keep things the way they are now: his family happy and contented.

He looked down at Chiaki who gave a soft yawn, rubbing the back of her free hand into her sleepy eyes.

"Do you want _otousan_ to carry you too?" he asked his daughter who was holding his other hand as she walked beside him. She shook her head.

"Chiaki's fine. _Otousan_ would be tired if he has to carry Chiaki too," she answered. He patted his daughter's head.

"We're nearly there Chiaki," Ichiro said, trying to act tough as he always did. "Don't worry. When I grow bigger I'll carry you instead."

"When will Ichiro _nii-chan_ grow big?" Chiaki asked. Ichiro stared at the distance with a frown on his face. He seemed to be thinking hard on how to answer his sister.

"Soon," Yoshiro answered his daughter.

"Tomorrow?" Chiaki asked innocently.

"No Chiaki. My body is still very small. I need to eat a lot first so I'll be big and strong like _otousan_," Ichiro answered.

"Then Chiaki will eat a lot too, so that Chiaki can be big and strong like _otousan_," Chiaki announced.

"You don't have to be big and strong," Ichiro said.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a girl Chiaki," Ichiro stated matter-of-factly.

"So what if Chiaki's a girl?" Chiaki asked both confused and indignant at being told that there are things she can't do.

"Girls are not supposed to be big and strong."

"Why can't girls be big and strong?"

The two kept on bantering like that for a while. The guards laughed while listening to the two. Yoshiro always had guards to escort him, especially when he's out with his children. The streets were starting to get dangerous since the war began. Occurrences of murder had been more rampant. He even came across news of people who were assassinated within the safety of their own homes. Since he wasn't skilled with a sword himself, he made sure that he and his family is well protected.

He gave a soft chuckle as he listened to his two children who still had not stopped arguing. He wondered if they would still continue to argue like that when they grow older. It would be fascinating to listen to the two argue about more significant things like politics and ideals when they are old enough to understand such things. Yumi too, would probably join their discussion with viewpoints of her own. But Yumi would most likely side with her sister as she had always done at present. Maybe he can team up with Ichiro and they can debate all night against the girls.

The guards in front suddenly stopped in their tracks, distracting him from his reverie. Not far ahead was a silhouette of what would seem like a boy. He would not have minded the situation if his attention hadn't been caught by the outline of what evidently were two _katana_s hanging at the hip of the mysterious figure.

"Identify yourself!" One of his guards demanded. The figure didn't answer. He just stood where he was, unmoving.

An unexplainable feeling of dread slowly made its way to the pit of Yoshiro's stomach. He had had this feeling so many times before, like a signal when something undesirable was about to happen. Sweat trickled down his forehead. He didn't know why he was suddenly feeling anxious. It was just a boy standing in the midst of his five samurai guards. If the small figure had truly intended to bring them harm, dealing with him would be no problem. But for some reason, something inside him was telling him not to feel so confident otherwise. He could almost hear voices in his head screaming for him to take caution of a dreadful event that was about to take place.

"Ichiro, Chiaki, get behind me!" He snapped instinctively at his two children. The two obeyed and hid themselves behind him.

"_Otousan_, what's wrong?" He heard Yumi call softly. His sudden outburst must have woken her up.

Yoshiro took a step back and the other guards dutifully placed themselves between their master and the suspicious figure not too far ahead.

"What's happening _otousan_?" Chiaki asked, confused and a little scared. Ichiro was also looking at him nervously. He didn't respond, not because he didn't want to but because he was not sure of what was happening himself. He also didn't want to unnecessarily scare his children.

Only the sound of rustling leaves filled the night as a cold wind blew around them. Dark clouds have gathered in the red sky above slowly cloaking the moon, adding an almost ominous glow to their surroundings.

"What is your business here?" The guard asked sharply, now unsheathing his sword. The other guards did the same.

The shadow walked slowly towards them and eventually broke into a run, his hand at the hilt of his sword. Two of the guards advanced towards the assailant, swords held high above their heads, ready to attack. What happened next was too fast for Yoshiro to follow. He saw a flash of silver and heard the wet sound of something slicing through flesh. The next thing he knew, the assailant was crouching a good many feet from where he had come from, his sword held suspended in mid-air. His two guards stood motionless with their swords raised above their heads. Nobody moved. Even the sound of the rustling leaves stopped. It was as though time itself stopped for a moment, freezing everything. The assailant calmly stood from his crouch as the two guards crumpled to the ground. He flicked his sword in the air in a swift motion to rid it of his victims' blood.

Yoshiro stared at the assailant, then at the two motionless bodies on the ground. His guards also appeared to be in shock. All of them were unable to comprehend what really happened. One thing was certain though; the person they were facing was clearly an assassin.

"_Otousan_…," came Ichiro's faint voice, snapping him out of his daze. He looked down at Ichiro's terrified face then at the wide-eyed Chiaki who were staring at the scene before them. They had seen. He was alarmed. How could he have let his children witness such a thing as murder? Yumi looked at them in confusion. Had she seen too?

"Don't look!" He barked at them. "Close your eyes and don't look."

Yoshiro's voice seemed to snap his guards back to their senses. Two of the guards charged towards the assassin. Ichiro and Chiaki still stared in shock at the commotion. Yoshiro desperately covered Chiaki's eyes with his hand as he blocked Ichiro's view with his body. He pinned Yumi's head against his shoulder so that Yumi was now facing the opposite way.

With godlike speed, the assassin took down the guards effortlessly.

"Nakamura-sama, please run with your children while I fight him. I will try to hold him off for as long as I can," the remaining guard told him. Yoshiro stared at him in both shock and confusion.

"_Hayaku_!" The guard yelled.

"_H-hai_," he stuttered. "Come on," he told his children.

He carried Chiaki on his other arm and told Ichiro to keep up as they started running. He could hear the clash of swords behind him. He silently thanked the guard who was now risking his life to save theirs. He heard Ichiro stumble behind him. He ran back and put Chiaki down as he helped Ichiro up.

"AAAAAAAARRRGGGGHHH!" The excruciating cry of his guard filled his ears. He looked back and saw his last warrior collapse to the ground. The assassin pulled his blade out of the guard's body.

His heart beat frantically inside his chest. Panic filled his entire body. He put the confused Yumi down and looked at his children, probably for the last time.

"Listen, I want you to run as fast as you can. And no matter what happens, don't look back!" He ordered.

The children looked at their father in horror.

"But what about you –"

"Run!" he shouted, cutting Chiaki off.

Chiaki gave him one last agonizing look and started running, taking both of her siblings' hands.

Yoshiro turned to face the assassin.

"_Nii-chan_, come on!" She heard Chiaki cry. He looked back to see Chiaki desperately pulling at her brother's hand. Ichiro had not moved from where he stood.

"But –" Ichiro said but Yoshiro cut him off.

"Ichiro!" He snapped at his son. He looked at him sternly, anger and desperation taking over him. Ichiro stared back at him hesitantly. He gritted his teeth and finally started running with his sisters.

Yoshiro faced his assailant again. The assassin was now slowly walking towards him. Yoshiro unsheathed his own sword. The assassin stopped a few feet from him, watching him. Yoshiro always carried a sword for self-defense, but he was no swordsman. He knew he had no chance at winning against this monster standing in front of him, but he was prepared to lay his life to protect his family. He prayed to all the gods that they would keep his children safe.

"Why are you doing this? Who sent you?" He asked. He knew that conversation was futile, but he wanted to somehow buy as much time for his children to escape. "Are you one of the imperialists?"

The assassin positioned himself in an attack stance. Yoshiro knew then that his assailant was not interested in any conversation. He held his sword tighter, his hands shaking. He knew he'd most definitely die tonight, but he didn't care. All he ever hoped for now was for his children to escape death.

The assassin started running towards him. With a blink of an eye, Yoshiro felt a blade pierce through his stomach. He didn't even have the chance to lift his sword to block the incoming attack. His sword fell and cluttered to the ground.

"NOOOOOOO! _Otousan_!"

Yoshiro heard Ichiro's cry from a distance followed by Chiaki's voice.

"_Nii-chan_ no!"

To his horror, he can hear the faint sound of approaching footsteps behind him. It must be Ichiro, running back to him.

_Stupid child!_ He thought.

The assassin moved to pull back the sword away from his body but he grasped the assassin's arm tightly. The assassin tugged to free his arm from his grasp but he desperately gripped the arm tightly with his two hands.

"P-please do not harm my children," he said through ragged breath. Blood poured down the sides of his mouth. The pain in his stomach was maddening, but he ignored it and used all of his strength to stop the assassin from leaving and going after his children.

The assassin's cold eyes regarded him in annoyance. Instead of pulling his arm free, the assassin pushed the sword deeper into his stomach. He grunted in pain. His felt his knees buckle as his strength started to drain from his body. His hands helplessly slumped to his sides. The assassin finally pulled the sword free from his body. He collapsed to the ground feeling the world spin around him. He saw Ichiro's small form from a distance. The boy had stood frozen on the ground, horror written all over his face.

_I can't die now_, he thought. _Not yet. My children, I need to save my children._

With his remaining strength, he stood up, picked up his sword and swung it sloppily at the assassin, but the assassin dodged his attack easily, sending him to stumble to the ground. He struggled to stand again but he fell back. His body would no longer follow his command.

_Is this the end of me? Is this as far as my strength would go? _He thought bitterly. _I can't give up yet. I must not give up._

He crawled agonizingly towards his assailant. He reached out a trembling hand and grabbed the assassin's ankle.

"P-please d-don't harm my ch-children…," he pleaded weakly.

The assassin only eyed him coldly and kicked his leg free from his grip, sending his body to topple over. He now lay on his back. He tried to move but to no avail. Pain and blood loss had already taken their toll on his body. Small drops of rain started to fall down his face. It was as though the sky was crying for him. The moon was nowhere in sight. The assassin stood over him, blocking the sky from his view. The assassin stared at him with eyes void of any emotion and raised his sword, the edge pointing straight down his chest. The faces of his children flashed in his mind.

_I'm sorry otousan could no longer protect you. Kamisama, I leave my children's lives in your hands. Spare them from the cruel hands of this merciless killer._

With one swift movement, the assassin plunged the sword down his chest, piercing through his heart. His vision started to fade into darkness. His eyes felt heavy and they slowly slid close despite his efforts to keep them open. Blood gushed out of his chest with every painful beat of his heart. The last thing he heard was Ichiro's cry of pain before the last of his consciousness finally left him.

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**Reference:**

Hai – Yes

Hayaku – Hurry

Kami/Kamisama – God

Katana – traditional Japanese sword

Nii-chan (onii-chan) – older brother

Otousan – father

Sama – a suffix added to a person's name used to denote respect to someone who is of higher level than the speaker; literally means _master_

What is Kenshingumi – a term referring to Kenshin's group (Kenshin, Kaoru, Sano and Yahiko sometimes with Megumi and Misao)

Why was Chiaki referring to herself as Chiaki (Third Person POV) instead of I/me (First Person POV)?

- Japanese children often refer to themselves using the third person POV.

What are: Tokugawa Era, Meiji Revolution, Meiji Era (to those who are confused with the historical stuff or who didn't follow the series thoroughly) [**Gosh! This is hard…**]

- The Tokugawa Era refers to the period in Japan when the country was under the Tokugawa shogunate's rule. A shogunate is a government system in Japan where basically the country is ruled by shoguns. A shogun is like a hereditary military dictator. Shoguns were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor. The Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan for roughly 250 years (if I'm not mistaken) but many people were unsatisfied. This caused the Meiji Revolution (a chain of events that restored imperial rule of Japan to Emperor Meiji). It was basically the shogunate forces vs. the emperialists (anti-shogun). The imperialists won the war and it gave birth to a new Era called the Meiji Era. One of the changes during the Meiji Era which plays an IMPORTANT role in the Rurouni Kenshin story is that it was forbidden to carry swords in public. The emperor also removed the samurai's right to 'cut down' commoners who disrespects them. You can say that it was now a more peaceful era compared to the previous one. So basically, you can say that the samurais were no longer needed/important during the Meiji Era. You see, samurai's (I'm referring to the legit ones) used to hold a high place in the society and are often considered noble people or something like that. Former samurais and warriors adapted to the lives of ordinary citizens; some offered their services as guards/soldiers/police/etc.; some became bandits/robbers (since they don't have jobs anymore) and others became _rurouni_s (wanderers) like Kenshin.

[_Source: Wikipedia, Rurouni Kenshin and school. Hahaha!_]


	2. Chapter 1 - The Thief in Town

**A/N: **This story was set after the last episode of RurouniKenshin's second season (after Kenshin beat Shishio and went back to the Kamiya dojo). Let's pretend that the whole Season 3 and all the rest [OVA / movie] didn't happen (except for the Trust and Betrayal OVA [Tomoe's story]) but Kenshingumi already knew about the whole Tomoe affair. This story mentions lots of Japanese stuff and I also made use of some Japanese words. The words and their meanings/definitions are listed in alphabetical order at the end of each chapter. ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

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**Chapter 1 : The Thief in Town**

"_Listen, I want you to run as fast as you can. And no matter what happens, don't look back!"_

_Chiaki gaped at her father in horror. "But what about you – "_

"_Run!" Her father shouted._

_She stared at her father hesitantly. She didn't want to leave him, but she had never seen him look so desperate. She took Yumi's hand on hers and her brother's hand on the other and started to run but Ichiro didn't move. She tugged at his hand but he still refused to move. He just stood there and stared at their father._

"_Nii-chan come on!" She cried, desperately pulling at her brother's hand._

"_But-" Ichiro reasoned but their father cut him off._

"_Ichiro!" Their father snapped at him._

_She saw Ichiro's face twist in pain. She knew that he didn't want to leave their father too. Ichiro bit his lip. He gave one last look at their father and hesitantly started to run with them._

"_Nee-chan what's wrong?" Yumi asked._

"_Just run Yumi," she told her little sister, dragging her as they ran as fast as their little feet could._

_She looked back and saw her father unsheathe his sword and started talking to the person who killed their guards. She hoped and prayed that her father would be alright. She tried to ignore the images of the murder she had witnessed a while ago. Her father wouldn't die like them. As Ichiro said, their father was big and strong. He told them to run and she needs to trust him. She looked at her brother running beside her. He was gritting his teeth. His hand shivered in hers._

"_Aaaah!" Yumi cried as she stumbled to the ground._

"_Yumi!" They stopped running and helped their sister up. Yumi started to cry._

"_Yumi you need to stop crying –"_

"_NOOOOOOO! Otousan!" She was cut off by Ichiro's sudden cry._

_She looked back at her father and saw a sword sticking out from his back. Before her little mind could even find time to comprehend what was happening, Ichiro was already dashing towards their father._

"_Nii-chan no!" She screamed but Ichiro was not listening._

_She contemplated between chasing after her brother and staying with her crying sister. She was not able to make up her mind. She heard her father gasp as Ichiro froze in his steps. The killer had pushed the sword deeper into her father's stomach. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Everything was still. Even Yumi had stopped crying. Chiaki stared in fear at her father, her mind blank. Though she was young and couldn't understand lots of things, she understood that her father was in danger. She wanted to scream but her voice wouldn't come out and instead muffled into a choking sound._

_Her father's hands dropped to his sides and the killer pulled the sword out of his body. Blood gushed out from the spot where the sword had been. She saw her father crumple to the ground. She felt relieved when she finally saw him move. Her father picked his sword up and slowly stood back up again._

_Yes, otousan is big and strong. He will not lose. He will be alright, she thought to herself._

_Her father tried to attack the killer but he missed. He stumbled back to the ground. He tried to stand up but he fell down again. He slowly crawled towards the killer, his hand reached out to the killer's foot, holding onto his ankles. He seemed to be saying something, but she couldn't hear it. The killer kicked his foot free. Her father's body rolled over to the ground. The killer moved closer as her father lay there, motionless. The rain started to pour. The killer raised his sword in the air._

_Chiaki's eyes widened in terror. She grabbed Yumi and covered her sister's eyes. With a swift motion, the killer thrust the sword into her father's heart._

"_NOOOOOOOO!" She heard Ichiro cry through the sound of the pouring rain._

_The killer pulled his sword out of her father's chest. She could no longer see her father moving. Yumi collapsed beside her, snapping her out of her daze._

"_Yumi!"_

_Yumi didn't answer. Her sister just sat there, eyes wide staring into nothing. She didn't seem to hear her._

"_Yumi!" She called again, shaking Yumi's shoulders, but the girl didn't move._

"_Otousan!" She heard Ichiro cry. He ran towards their father, slipping along the way. He stared intently at their father's lifeless body shaking it as he called out to him._

"_Otousan! Otousan…no…"_

_He wept there, hugging their dead father. He saw his father's sword lying nearby. He picked it up and charged at the killer without hesitation. The killer dodged his sloppy attack which sent Ichiro stumbling to the ground. He stood up and tried to attack again. The killer kicked him straight in the chest that sent his little body flying and it hit the wall._

_Chiaki watched at the scene unfolding before her. It was like seeing a flashback of what happened to her father minutes ago. She had no time to think. She dashed towards Ichiro as fast she could._

_The killer slowly walked towards Ichiro, dragging his dangerously unsheathed sword behind him. Ichiro tried to move but pain filled his little body. He watched as the killer's steps stopped in front of him. For a moment the killer just stood there looking at him with those cold eyes, as though he was hesitating whether he should kill him or not. The killer slowly lifted his sword and pointed it at him._

_Chiaki jumped in between them, her arms stretched wide to shield her brother. The killer looked stunned at her sudden interference but it was only for a brief moment. The killer eyed her coldly and pointed the sword at her chest._

"_Chiaki what are you doing? Run…," Ichiro called behind her weakly, but Chiaki didn't move. She stared at the killer's golden eyes with all the audacity she can muster. Her body was shivering both from the cold and from fear. The rain was now falling harder, hurting her skin. But she didn't budge. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity. The killer then raised his sword high in the air. Chiaki closed her eyes on impulse. A few seconds passed but she didn't feel anything hit her body. She slowly opened her eyes. The killer was still standing in front of her, but he didn't move, his sword was still raised in midair. The killer just stared at her. Menacing shadows of death lurked behind those cold golden eyes. But she could almost see something else behind them, something that almost made her hopeful. Was it mercy? She felt her heart thump wildly inside her chest. The sound of her heartbeat felt so loud in her ears. She just stared at him unblinkingly. It was all she could do. She didn't even notice that her knees were already shaking uncontrollably. The killer slowly lowered his sword to the ground. He her one last contemplating look before he sheathed his sword and turned away. Chiaki collapsed from where she stood. She watched him take a piece of paper and he dropped it on top of her father's corpse. He started walking away and she watched him slowly disappear into the rainy night._

_**Fourteen years after : Meiji Era, 11 years after the end of the Meiji Revolution**_

Aki jolted upright from her sleep. Her clothes were drenched in sweat though the room felt awfully cold. Her heart was beating frantically inside her chest. The first thing she sought for was her blanket. She found it strewn across the floor a few feet from her futon. She must have unintentionally kicked it there while she was asleep. She moves a lot when she's sleeping ever since she was little. It was a habit she wasn't able to fix. She reached for her blanket and covered her body with it, thankful for the warmth the piece of fabric offered.

She just lay there for a long while staring at the ceiling. She couldn't get back to sleep, and the sound of the pouring rain outside was not helping. She rested an arm over her forehead, as though the effort would keep the horrifying images from popping into her mind. She tried to recall how long it has been since she last had the nightmare. It used to torture her every night when she was a child. Everything in her nightmare had all seemed real. Because it _**was**_ real. The desperation, the anguish, the fear – she had to constantly endure the torment of having to relieve the memory of the night her father was murdered every time she fell asleep. But there was no pain. The pain came afterwards, when she was wide awake, with her little body drenched in cold sweat. The pain would remain for a long time, much longer than the dream. And it would throb in her chest, like it was repeatedly stabbing her heart and tearing it into pieces. But she didn't cry. She didn't know why but tears refused to fall from her eyes. She had not cried a single tear since that fateful night. Not even when she held her father's lifeless body. Not even when she realized that he was never coming back.

Tonight was the same. It was just like any other night when she had the nightmare. The only difference was that she was no longer a child, and there was no more Yumi that she can hold beside her until she drifted back to sleep.

Ever since Yumi left, her nightmare's constant visits had decreased until time came that she completely had not dreamed about it again. She wondered why it now came back. Maybe it's because she was now about to confront her past. Maybe it's because she was going back to Edo, Tokyo as people call it now. She was a little worried that it was back to haunt her every night the way it used to. If the nightmare had brought her anything good, it was the image of her father. She was still so little when she had last seen him that her memory of his face faded through time. Even now as she laid there, her father's face is starting to fade from her mind again.

"_Otousan…_,"she unconsciously whispered. She reached her hand out as though the very act would stop her father's memory from fading, but her hand only grasped thin air.

She gave a heavy sigh. Now was not the time to dwell on those things. She needed to get back to sleep. Tomorrow would be the beginning of her battle that she has been putting off for so long. Finally, she'd be able to see his brother again. Ichiro, she wondered how he has been. Would he remember? Unfortunately, there's also the chance of coming across the person she hated most in the world. She hoped that she wouldn't have to meet that despicable uncle of hers yet. She wasn't ready, and meeting him once more would only ruin her plans.

She shifted to her side and slowly dozed off, hoping that the nightmare won't visit her much needed sleep again.

* * *

It was pretty much another typical day for Kenshin. The redhead woke up as early as usual and immediately set off on doing his chores. The laundry has been piling up for the last few days. He was not able to wash them because of the continuous downpour of rain, and the ones he had already laundered had still not dried. He smiled at the clear bright sky above him. Hopefully, the weather would be kind to him and his laundry today. Kaoru came out a while later. She was dressed in her white _gi_ and _hakama_ underneath a moss green _haori_. She was carrying her wooden sword and her long black hair was neatly tied into a mid-high ponytail.

"Kenshin! I'll be out to give some lessons. I'll be back before lunch," the blue eyed girl told him.

"Okay Kaoru-dono. I will prepare for lunch after I finish the laundry, that I will," Kenshin replied wearing his usual kind smile that often gave other people the wrong impression that he was pathetically gullible.

"Thanks," Kaoru said as she turned to walk away but she stopped midway.

"What is it Kaoru-dono?"

"I'm wondering whether I should bring my umbrella. It doesn't look like it's gonna rain anytime soon," Kaoru said thoughtfully as she looked at the clear blue sky.

"Well, it has been raining a lot recently, that it has. It would be better if you leave prepared Kaoru-dono," he answered. Kaoru paused for a moment.

"You're right," she finally said. She went back inside to get her umbrella. She came out again moments later and hurried outside.

"Oh," she paused just outside the gate, "I almost forgot, Doctor Gensai and the girls will be dropping by around lunch time. I'm not sure if we have enough food left. I left some money inside my room. Take it if you ever need to shop," she said and left without waiting for Kenshin's reply.

Yahiko woke up a while later and went to clean the dojo. Kenshin had already finished doing the laundry by then and he went straight to the kitchen to prepare for lunch. The food was still enough to last them until dinner. He would have to shop soon for their next day's consumption. He was nearly done cooking when he heard Suzume and Ayame's voices. He went out to greet them.

"Uncle Ken!" Ayame called out followed by Suzume.

"Ayame, Suzume!"

The two little girls rushed towards him.

"_Ororo_," Kenshin muttered as the two almost choked him with their hugs.

"Good morning Kenshin," Doctor Gensai greeted him.

"Good morning Doctor Gensai," he greeted back. "Kaoru-dono is still out giving lessons but she will be back anytime soon."

"Hey Kenshin!" A tall guy with spiky brown hair came walking towards them.

"Sano," Kenshin greeted his friend.

"Lunch ready yet?" Sanosuke asked as he joined their little cluster.

"Couldn't you have a better reason to come here than just to look for food?" Yahiko said as he approached them. The dark haired boy was covered in sweat, having just finished his cleaning chores.

"Nice to see you too Yahiko," Sanosuke sarcastically answered.

"Seriously! You should get that big body of yours to work. You're too old to still freeload on other people's kindness," Yahiko commented.

"Shut up you weasel," Sanosuke said.

"Yahiko's a weasel," Ayame said giggling.

"Yahiko's a weasel," Suzume echoed.

"No, you shut up you rooster-head!" Yahiko retorted at Sanosuke.

"_Ororo_. Stop fighting now, you two. I will be serving lunch in a while. Why don't you go prepare the table?" Kenshin interfered.

"Let Sano do it! He should at least help around here since he always comes here to leech on our food," Yahiko scowled.

"_Tadaima!_" Kauro called out to them.

"_Okaeri_ nasai Kaoru-dono," Kenshin greeted.

"_Okaeri!_" Ayame greeted.

"_Okaeri!_" Suzume echoed.

"Good morning girls. Good morning doctor Gensai," Kaoru greeted.

"Good morning Kaoru," the old doctor answered.

"Have you been here long?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh, we just got here a moment ago," the doctor replied.

"Good. Kenshin is lunch ready yet? I'm starving," Kaouru inquired.

"I'm almost done Kaoru-dono, that I am. I'll be serving lunch in a while," Kenshin replied.

"Hey! You're here again?" Kaoru demanded at Sanosuke.

"Why isn't anyone here happy to see me?" Sanosuke frowned.

Kenshin knew too well that this was going to be another argument. He put Suzume and Ayame down as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Why would I be happy to see you when I know you're only here to freeload again? Why I'm not surprised since I always seem to find you hear around meal time," Kaoru stated.

"Well you know how it is. I quit being the underground fighter so I don't have money," Sanosuke reasoned.

"That was already a year ago! For _Kami_'s sake, get yourself a job!" Kaoru retorted.

"Yeah! Make yourself useful you old geezer," Yahiko chimed in.

"Kids shouldn't butt in on older people's conversation," Sanosuke countered.

"Who are you calling a kid?!" Yahiko demanded in irritation.

Kenshin chuckled as he listened to his friends argue. They were always at it almost every day. He knew how long the argument was gonna last and that in the end, Kaoru would let Sanosuke join them to eat. It had almost been a year since he first came to the Kamiya dojo. He had become so used to his fun and noisy life here that the ten long years he spent wandering now all seemed like some distant memory. It was a miracle for him to have found people who treated him like family and who were willing to accept him despite his dark past. For the first time in his life, he had found a place that he can actually call home.

"Hey Kenshin! Hurry up!" Yahiko's voice tore him away from his thoughts and he started preparing the food.

Lunchtime was pleasant, if not peaceful, with Sanosuke and Yahiko fighting over food again. The old doctor filled them in with some news about certain thefts that had been occurring around town over the last few days. It appears that the thief was only targeting rich businessmen around the area. It was good news that nobody had been physically hurt so far. Though it was not likely that the thief would intrude their humble home, he reminded himself to not lower his guard since danger is always lurking around the corner, even in this peaceful Meiji Era.

After lunch, Kenshin took care of the dishes as he always did. He then spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Ayame and Suzume while Kaoru and Yahiko trained at the dojo. Sano passed the time napping in the hallway. The doctor and the kids stayed for dinner and decided to go home shortly after. Since it was already dark, Kenshin offered that he and Yahiko would walk them home.

After dropping the doctor and his family home, they were now on their way back to the dojo. The night was cold, but at least it wasn't raining tonight. Kenshin gazed at the sky above him. The stars were out, but there was no moon. Yahiko's lantern was the only thing that lit their way. He heard Yahiko yawn beside him. He gave a smile as he stared back at the moonless sky. If it was fourteen years ago, he wouldn't have had this kind of peace. He was always on alert for anyone who tried to kill him, or for the people he was about to kill. Most of the time, he was the one who did the killing. But that was then. The revolution had ended, and so had his life as Hitokiri Battousai. He was now a changed man. He made an important vow, and up till now he has been true to that vow. He would _never_ take another life again, that he would only use his sword to protect the weak.

Kenshin was so lost in his thoughts when he and Yahiko saw a man dart past them.

"What was that?" Yahiko asked.

"I'm not really sure," Kenshin answered looking at the slowly fading figure in the distance.

"Looks like he's being chased or something," Yahiko commented.

Suddenly Kenshin heard footsteps from the dark alley to his right. Someone was running fast towards their direction. The footsteps became clearer. His mind quick, he calculated that if he didn't move from where he was right away, he would surely collide with whoever it was that was running towards them. However, if he did try to dodge, the person would surely collide with Yahiko instead. He decided to stay where he was. The impact came shortly and he was thrown to the ground.

"_Ororo_," Kenshin mumbled. He found his face almost buried on someone else's neck. The smell of fresh sweat, dust, and a faint scent that reminded him of sakura filled his nostrils. He was also aware of the weight of a small body on top of him. He couldn't get a good look at whoever it was since strands of rough hair pricked his face and some of it strayed dangerously near his eyes.

"Kenshin are you okay?" Yahiko inquired as he lowered the lantern at them.

"_Itai…_," the boy on top of him groaned. The boy shifted into a sitting position and examined his bleeding elbow.

"Hey watch where you're going!" Yahiko told the boy.

"_Oro?_" Kenshin muttered in shock as he looked at the person sitting on top of him. He had surely thought the person was a boy if not for the obvious bump on her chest.

"_Ara?_" The girl said as she seemed to have finally noticed Kenshin beneath her. She looked as shocked as he did. The two of them just stared at each other for a while until the girl gave a short scream and landed a punch on his face.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The girl yelled as she reflexively removed herself on top of Kenshin. She was standing a good few feet away as though Kenshin was some dangerous creature she needed to get away from.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who bumped into Kenshin!" Yahiko reacted angrily.

The girl seemed to realize this. She only stared at them for a while looking uncertain about what to say.

Kenshin stood up to face his earlier assailant. The girl was oddly dressed in a light colored _hakama_ which was carelessly torn just below the knees. Her dark colored _gi_ was too large for her small frame, exposing her bandaged chest and the sleeves were also carelessly torn an inch above her elbows. She had a pair of old _kote_ on her arms which upon closer look, were actually just make-shift _kote_s made of old pieces of cloth wrapped carelessly around her arms. She was wearing black _tabi_s and her worn out _zori_s had strings that strapped them securely to her feet. Her hair was worn in a messy ponytail and long stray strands fell at the side of her face. Her bangs were also a mess. All in all she looked scruffy if not bizarre. Now that he had a good look at her, she didn't look anything like a boy except for the way she was dressed.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I was in the way," Kenshin said after he dusted himself off. He gave her his usual kind, almost idiotic, smile.

"What do you mean it's okay? And why are you the one apologizing? It's her fault! She even punched you for no reason!" Yahiko objected.

"Where did she go?" They heard a voice not too far away.

"Catch that thief!" Another voice came.

More footsteps were coming their way now.

The girl snapped when she heard the voices and she broke into a run.

"Hey where do you think you're going?!" Yahiko yelled after her but the girl didn't pay him mind and just continued running until she disappeared into the darkness.

The voices soon materialized into figures as a number of men wearing green _haori_s with orange triangular patterns emerged from the same alley the girl had come from. They were carrying wooden swords but some had real swords with them.

"Hey! You two! Have you seen where the thief went?" One of the men asked them rather crudely.

"_Oro?_" Kenshin said looking confused though he knew full well what the man meant.

"Did anyone pass by recently?" The man asked again irritated.

"Oh! If you're looking for the girl she went – "

"Oh right! Someone did pass here just a little while ago," Kenshin cut Yahiko off.

"Tell me where she is," the man demanded, towering over Kenshin.

"She went that way, that she did," he said and wore his idiotic smile again. Yahiko looked at him confused as he pointed towards the opposite direction from where the girl had run to.

"Let's go! Don't let that bitch get away," the man said to his companions and they immediately set off to where Kenshin had indicated.

"What was all that about?" Yahiko asked in confusion. "And why'd you lie?"

"I don't know what's going on but those men looked dangerous," he answered still staring after the men. "We might endanger her life if we told them the truth."

"But what if she really was a thief?" Yahiko's asked then his eyes widened in realization. "What if she was the thief that's been stealing around town? And that man earlier was her accomplice?"

"Let's just hope that the police will catch them soon." Kenshin answered and finally looked at Yahiko. "We'd better get going. Kaoru will get worried if we don't come back soon, that she will."

Yahiko still looked hesitant but started walking anyway. Kenshin did the same but suddenly stopped when something caught his attention at the spot where he and the girl collided.

"_Oro?_"

"What is it?" Yahiko asked.

Kenshin bent down to pick up something that he wasn't quite sure what.

"What's that?" Yahiko asked him, leaning in to also examine it closely. He held it over his eyes and turned it over his hand a couple of times.

"I think it's a bracelet," he answered.

"You think it's hers?"

"Maybe."

"What if it's stolen," Yahiko yelped.

"I don't think so," Kenshin replied, eyeing the ornament. It was an old piece of string. The beads that were pierced through it didn't match at all and were most likely chosen at random. He guessed that this was originally a child's bracelet. A newer string was carelessly tied to the end of the old one to make it longer, enough to fit a grown woman's wrist.

"You're right. It doesn't look like something worth stealing," Yahiko agreed.

"In any case, we really should get going, that we should," Kenshin said. He tucked the bracelet inside his pocket though he really had no idea what he was going to do with it. He had a feeling that it was something important since the owner made an effort to still make it usable. It felt wrong to just throw it away.

He rubbed the side of his face where the girl had punched him a while ago. He knew he was gonna have problems moving his facial muscles for a while.

* * *

Ryuu was sure he was now out of danger. He walked casually inside a nearby bar called Shimabara and scanned the place, looking for someone.

"Good evening Ryuu-san," a couple of _maiko_s greeted him. He didn't miss the mischievous stares the girls were giving him.

"Good evening ladies," he winked at them and gave them a playful grin. The girls gave an expectant look but ended up disappointed when he just passed them by and continued on his business. If it had been any other night he would have eagerly responded to their flirting. But tonight, he had a more important matter to attend to first. The girls can wait.

At last he found the person he was looking for. He went straight to him and sat on a seat beside him.

"How'd it go?" The middle-aged man asked him.

"Who do you think you're talking to? Of course it went well. You know me Noburu, I'm the greatest thief in town," Ryuu laughed. He took something inside his pocket and dangled it in front of the man's eyes. Noburu's eyes grew wide that it almost seemed to sparkle. He moved to take it but Ryuu snatched it away before he could even touch it.

"Tsk tsk. You know the rules. Money first," Ryuu grinned impishly.

Noburu took a stack of cash and laid it in front of Ryuu.

"That's it?" Ryuu complained.

"What do you mean that's it?" Noburu asked grouchily.

"Do you know how hard it is to get this stuff? It took a while for me to find it that I almost got caught," Ryuu grumbled.

"Ha! I thought you were the best," Noburu taunted.

"Course I am! Just had a little glitch that's all," he answered.

Noburug runted and grudgingly laid another stack of cash in front of Ryuu.

"Now that's more like it," Ryuu grinned and gave him the item as he took his pay.

"You're gonna get me broke you know," Noburu muttered.

"Nah. You can sell that thing at a much higher price outside," Ryuu said examining his money.

"Why do you keep selling your loot to me then?"

"Because it's easier. I may be a great thief but I'm no salesman," he said nonchalantly. "Besides, don't pretend you don't like working with me."

"Arrogant bastard," Noburu chuckled. He eyed the loot briefly and placed it inside his pocket, satisfied. "So what happened?"

"Well, I couldn't find the loot where it's s'posed to be. I decided to look for a while and found it in Asamoto's room instead of his study. I was already on my way out when some guard saw me. Alerted the others and I got chased. Lucky I got a little distraction," he explained.

"You working with someone now?" Noburu asked a bit surprised.

"You know me, I prefer to work alone. I don't know why she was there but she did save my ass. Used some smoke bomb or somethin'. Then the bastards started tailing her instead of me."

"It was a girl?"

"Yep," he said feeling a little uneasy.

"Any idea who she is?"

"Not really. Must be some other thief like me. Too bad for her I got there first. Guess I'm really lucky," he said grinning wickedly again. He pushed away the unsettling emotions that have been tugging at him for a while now.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't get caught or I would have waited here the whole night for nothin'. Gotta go now. Till next time," Noburu said and turned to leave.

"Yeah, sure," Ryuu answered and ordered a bottle of _sake_ for himself.

"If it isn't you again," a smiling _maiko_ arrived carrying his bottle of _sake_. She laid the liquor and _ochoko_ down and nestled beside him.

"Evening Kumiko-san," he greeted the older woman.

"You always come here almost every night," Kumiko said as she poured _sake_.

"I love seeing you every night," he teased.

Kumiko laughed coyly. "Don't pretend you haven't been with the other _maiko_s."

"But you're my favorite," he answered as he kissed the _maiko_'s hand. "Shall we play again tonight?"

"Oh, shall I?" Kumiko purred, playfully twirling his brown hair around her long pale fingers.

"I know you want to," he whispered in her ear.

"You're such a naughty boy," she giggled and poured him another shot of _sake_.

_This is the life_, he thought and smiled, satisfied. Other people might view his way of living as crooked and immoral, but he really didn't care. As long as he can have enough money, and _**women**_, to satisfy his needs, he was okay with it. Besides, he was only doing what the others have without all the cover ups and under the table schemes. He was a thief, that's true, but he can point out others who deserved the label better. Those corrupt government officials who have been imposing ridiculous taxes to the citizens, isn't what they're doing called stealing? Though the condition was worse during the Tokugawa period, not much really changed at present. A lot of people in the new government still used their power to oppress others. And of course, those wealthy businessmen who use money to get what they want in order to gain more. This world is all about money. If you have money, you have power; if you don't then get ready to be kicked around by those who do. He knew that too well.

"_Ne_ Ryuu-san," Kumiko called.

"I'm sorry what?" He asked.

"You weren't listening to me," Kumiko pouted.

"I'm sorry I was just thinking of something," he reasoned.

"_Ara?_ Are you thinking of someone else?"

"Of course not. Why would I think about another woman when a very beautiful one is sitting right next to me?" He whispered and put an arm around Kumiko. Just then the image of the girl who helped him a while ago flashed into his mind. The unsettling feeling at the pit of his stomach started to rise again. She was the one who voluntarily helped him back there. She helped him on her own accord so he shouldn't feel guilty and let alone care about what happens to her.

Kumiko poured him another shot and he downed it in one go. Somehow he hoped that the _sake_ will help clear his annoying thoughts away, but another image of the girl flashed through his mind. She lay in the cold, her body drenched in blood as she cried in agony. A heavy feeling kept on tugging at him, telling him that it would be his fault if anything ever happened to her.

_If she decided to interfere then she must have been sure she can handle it!_ He thought irritably.

He felt silly. It was as though he was having an argument with his own mind. He kept thinking of reasons why he should not concern himself with her. But it's also undeniable the she did save him back there. And no matter how capable he presumed her to be, he can't ignore the fact that she's _**still**_ a _**girl**_. He may be a thief but he was not a fan of violence, especially against women and children.

"_Kuso!_" he swore as he unintentionally slammed his _ochoko_ into the table.

"What's wrong?" Kumiko asked him, startled.

"_Gomen_ Kumiko-san. There's somewhere I need to go," he said and left.

Ryuu roamed the dark streets of Tokyo but he wasn't really sure where to go. He wouldn't have any idea where in the world the girl and those guards ran off to. He glanced around, irritated and decided to survey the places she might have gone to. He examined the areas for a while and finally decided that he was just wasting his time. There were no more guards and there definitely was no dead girl lying around. By the time he went back to Shimabara, Kumiko already had another customer to attend to and his half consumed bottle of _sake_ had already been cleared away.

_It's tough being a proper man_, he thought as he asked for another bottle of _sake_.

* * *

**End of Chapter Notes: **Aside from Kenshin's unique way of adding '_de gozaru_' (that I am / that it is, etc.) at the end of a sentence, Kenshin also has a unique way of referring to himself in the original Japanese dubbed anime. He uses '_sesha_' (this one) [ex. This one will do the laundry, that he is] instead of 'I' [I will do the laundry, that I will] when he is in rurouni mode/normal mode. He then uses '_Ore_', a more masculine/rougher way of saying 'I' and drops '_de gozaru_' when he's in serious mode/Battousai mode. However, I decided to just use 'I' in the story instead of 'this one' for Kenshin's dialogues since 'this one' sounds odd in English. Also, in the original english dubbed version of the anime, Kenshin was using 'I' instead of 'this one' even in normal mode.

I'm not quite sure if people already wore _gi _(please see definition) during the Rurouni Kenshin timeline. Originally, Japanese wore _hakama_ over their _kimono._[According to what I read somewhere on the internet] As time passed, the _gi_ was often used with _hakama_ in place of a _kimono_. A _kimono_'s length extends up to the ankles so it's more comfortable to wear _gi _with _hakama _instead since the _gi_ is shorter (hip-length or thigh/length). For this story, I decided to use _gi_ since it's easier to imagine. XD

**Reference:**

Ara – could mean any of these depending on how it's used: oh my! / oh my god! / oh! / huh? / oh?

Dono – an honorific appended after a person's name that used to mean _Lord_. Later on it was only used to denote respect (as Kenshin uses it). The use of dono doesn't necessarily mean that the speaker is of lower status, as opposed the the suffix _sama_ (roughly translates to master) which is also used to show respect but to people of higher status than the speaker.

Gi – literally translates to 'clothes' but in this story, it refers to a short robe-like top paired with hakama, (used during martial arts training like karate in the modern world);

Gomen – Sorry / I'm sorry

Hakama – traditional garment similar to trousers that is worn over a _kimono_ or _gi_, originally worn by men.

Haori – a hip-length or thigh-length _kimono_-like garment worn over a _kimono_; used the same way as a coat

Itai – It hurts / Ouch

Kimono – traditional Japanese clothing worn by men and women. The hem of these full length robes usually falls to the ankles, but the more extravagant ones can be longer with floor-length sleeves.

Kami/Kamisama – God

Kote – arm greaves

Kuso – Dammit! / Damn!

Maiko – apprentice _geisha_, often generally called _o-shaku(one who pours alcohol)_

Ne – could mean either of these depending on how it's used: Hey / Right?

Ochoko – _sake_ cup, often shaped like a very small bowl

Okaeri – Welcome back / Welcome home

Oro/Ororo – a unique way of saying '_ara_'

Otousan – father

Sake – rice wine, a traditional Japanese liquor

Sakura – cherry blossom

San – an honorific appended after a person's name that could mean any of these: Mr. / Mrs. / Ms.

Tadaima – I'm back / I'm home

Tabi – traditional ankle-high socks that has a cleft to separate the thumb from the other toes.

Zori – traditional slippers often made of cloth, rice straw or other plant fibers

Why was the girl's chest bandaged?

-At that time, women don't wear bra underneath their clothes simply because bra didn't exist in Japan yet. [**In animes,**] Women wrap their chest with cloth (the same way you put on bandages) when they needed to wear clothes that exposes their chest or when they're doing strenuous activities, just like when Kaoru is training her swordsmanship. I don't know if that's true in real life though since Japanese women were very conservative then.


	3. Chapter 2 - The Ill-Tempered Flower

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

* * *

**Chapter 2 : The Ill-Tempered Flower**

"_Kuso!_"Aki swore under her breath.

Last night was a disaster. She had planned on going to the Asamoto mansion. When she got there, she almost thought she was at the wrong place. There stood a huge western mansion in place of what was once a traditional Japanese one. Even the fence and the gate were now in western style. She almost panicked but was relieved when she saw the familiar _sakura_ tree still standing at the far side of the estate. Guards stood at the gates and there were some patrolling the courtyard. She regretted going there without examining the place first. She was an idiot to think that her home, or what used to be her home, would be as it was fourteen years ago.

She hung around the place while she changed her plans when someone inside shouted something about a thief. Before her brain could properly react to what was happening, a tall man with shoulder-length hair had climbed the fence and dropped to the ground close to where she was standing. She wasn't able to see the man's face clearly because of the darkness. The man broke into a run while she on the other hand stood there wondering what just happened. Before she knew it, guards were charging towards her direction. What was worse, they were carrying weapons. It was too late to start running so she decided to use the last of her special explosives that she had been saving for more important occasions. She threw it at them and the area was momentarily covered in smoke. She started running but unfortunately, the guards were still able to tail her. The chase went on for a long while that her lungs felt like it was going to explode. She even bumped into someone along the way and the fall grazed one of her elbows. After what seemed like an eternity, she was finally able to lose the guards and return safely to the inn where she was staying. Just when she thought she's had enough problems for one night, she discovered that her bracelet was no longer with her. She had intended to look for it immediately but she changed her mind since the guards who were chasing her might still be out there looking for her. She tried to look for it all over the inn but she was not able to find it.

She set off looking for her bracelet first thing this morning. She went around the places she passed through last night but she still wasn't able to find it. She also went to the place where she had collided with someone thinking that it must have fallen off when she fell. To her disappointment, it was also not there. She didn't go to the areas near the Asamoto mansion though since she feared that some of the guards from last night might recognize her.

"_Kuso!_" She muttered again. "Don't tell me it's really somewhere near the mansion."

She slumped frustrated at a huge stone beside the street. Her eyebrows creased at the thought that she really must have lost it somewhere near the mansion. She struggled between wanting to go there and giving up. She would probably get into trouble if she went there, but she also just can't let it go. It was too important for her. She sat there for a long time staring at nothing in particular. Suddenly she felt something wet trickle down one of her feet. She stared flabbergasted at a dog peeing at her right foot. She quickly stood up and stomped, scaring the dog away.

"Seriously?_**"**_She muttered aloud.

She raised her foot a little. Yellow liquid trickled from her completely drenched _tabi_ to the ground.

"Ugh! Isn't this enough already?!" She shouted at the sky. "For _Kami_'s sake give me a break."

She raised her foot closer to her hands. She intended to remove the wet _zori_ and _tabi_ but she realized that she didn't want to touch them. Her hesitation led her to lose her balance and she fell butt-first to the ground.

"GAAAAAAAHH!" She roared and lay completely on the ground in frustration. She shook her head incredulously. "I don't believe this."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ahahahahaha!"

She turned her head towards the source of the voice. She saw a man not too far from where she lay. The man was crouching while holding his stomach as his body shook uncontrollably. He was clearly laughing...at her. She resumed a sitting position and snapped at him, completely annoyed.

"What are you laughing at?"

The man slowly approached her and stopped right in front of her.

"Some dilemma you have there. C'mon I'll help you up," he said as he held his hand out, still laughing a little.

"I don't need your help," she answered huffily as she stood up on her own. Her temper was getting the better of her. She knew the man was only trying to help her. And it wasn't his fault if he found her situation hilarious. She knew she must have looked pathetic. She gave a sigh. She needed to cool down.

She cringed as more yellow liquid seeped out when she stepped on her wet _zori_. She remembered that the river where her family used to go fishing was just nearby. She decided to clean her dirty footwear there.

She sat at the riverbank and finally removed her dirty _zori_ and _tabi_. She laid them on the ground beside her and she started washing her foot. The river wasn't as clean as it had been but it was better than having her feet soaked in dog pee the whole day. She halted when someone squatted beside her. She came face to face with the man a while ago.

"Why are you following me?"

The man studied her for a while before he spoke. "Don't you really recognize me?"

"Why would I – ," she stopped in mid-sentence and stared wide-eyed at the man – lean body, tall frame and dark hair that fell just above his shoulders. "You!"

The man grinned, showing perfect white teeth.

"You're the thief from last night! You bastard!" She said as she started beating him with her fists.

"Hey! Hold up!" He said as he tried to shield himself from her attacks with his arms.

"Do you know how much trouble I went through because of you?" She said angrily and was now starting to beat him with her _zori_.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy! That's dirty," he said and backed a few feet away from her, laughing.

"My plans were ruined and I practically got chased all around Tokyo!" She fumed, gritting her teeth at him.

"Really? You must have quite an impressive stamina," he remarked. She hit him again with her _zori_.

"You dare to joke around after everything you did?"She hissed.

"Cool down will ya? I didn't mean for all of it to happen. Besides, didn't you involve yourself on your own?"

"On my own? Well tell me how I couldn't have involved myself when all those guards were charging with swords at me you jerk! You better get lost before I have you arrested."

"Well, you can't do that. You really don't have any evidence and as you said, the guards think _**you **_are the thief, not me," he stated.

"I'll just break your face then!" She barked but he just laughed at her.

"What were you doing there anyway?"

"None of your business!" She quickly retorted."And what do you want?"

"Nothing really," he shrugged. "I just thought maybe I should thank you for helping me."

"As I said, I didn't do it to save you. And if you really wanted to thank me then you should have helped me last night instead of running on your own to save yourself," she said.

"Hey, I did go out and look for you but I could no longer find you. I was a little worried those guards already cut you to pieces but I can see you're still alive and literally kicking."

"Well you better hope that I don't start kicking your sorry ass," she sharply replied.

"Has anyone told you that you have a very bad temper?" The guy asked.

"So? You got a problem with that?" She spat.

"Not really. You actually look cute when you're angry," the guy replied, grinning at her maliciously.

Aki almost felt like vomiting. He probably was the most difficult and seriously annoying person she has ever dealt with. She had no idea what he really wanted. He said he wanted to thank her but as far as she's concerned, he was only pestering her. She wasn't sure if he was hitting on her or was just deliberately trying to annoy her but she decided that it was better to just ignore him. She started cleaning her _zori_ a little too roughly and pretended that the man beside her was just thin air.

"So, what's your name? I'm Inoue Ryuu," he grinned and held out a hand to her.

She just rolled her eyes in annoyance and continued with what she was doing. She placed the clean _zori_ in one corner and started washing her _tabi_.

"Oh, you're supposed to hold my hand and shake it. That's how westerners greet each other," he said, leaning closer.

She smashed her _tabi_ into the water and gave an irritated sigh.

"Why would I want to do that? Do you know what I want to do most right now? I want to _**kill**_ you. I want to break those teeth so you'd stop grinning like an idiot after all the trouble you caused me and submerge your toothless face into the water until you drown and die!"

He laughed hard as though she had said something really funny. All her threats never seemed to affect him. She sighed in exasperation. This man was really getting into her nerves. She squeezed the water out of her _tabi_ and wore it. She strapped her _zori_ back into her foot and immediately stood up.

"Where are you going?" Ryuu asked.

"Away! And _**don't**_ follow me," she hissed.

"I'll see you around then!" Ryuu called out behind her.

"Just die!" She answered without looking back.

* * *

It was a busy afternoon in town. Kenshin was on his way back to the dojo carrying a bucket of _tofu_. He had considered shopping for vegetables too but he was already a little late. He needed to get home soon and prepare for dinner. Besides, they still have enough vegetables that he can use for tonight's meal. He'll just have to shop early tomorrow morning. He would have completed shopping today and even arrive home a little early if he had not sidetracked from his task. He went back to the place where he encountered the girl from last night. In fact, he had also gone there early this morning. He thought that the owner might go there and look for the bracelet. He waited for about an hour but nobody came to look for it. He decided to go back home since it was almost time for breakfast. He tried again this afternoon before he went shopping but still no owner came. He was starting to wonder if he should have just left the bracelet there. Back then he had been bothered by the thought that it might get ruined or thrown away by someone else if he just left it lying around in the streets. He had never thought of the possibility that it might have been easier for the owner to find it there instead of it being carried around by someone else. For all he knew, the owner could have gone there just when he had already left. He gave a deep sigh. He shouldn't be worrying about it so much. He wasn't even sure if someone is indeed looking for it.

"Hey watch it!" Someone bellowed nearby. Two apparently drunk men were shouting at a little girl lying on the ground. The dumplings she was carrying rolled in the dirt beside her.

"We're sorry," an older boy said as he helped the little girl up.

"Yer sorry? What're ya gonna do 'bout these stains? I just bought this kimono yesterday! Can yer sorry pay fer it? Huh?!" The man slurred. Spit sputtered out of his mouth as he spoke.

"It was an accident. She didn't mean to bump into you and stain your clothes," the boy reasoned.

"What'd ya say?" The man yelled.

"Nii-chan," the girl whispered, hiding behind the boy.

"It's okay Michiko," the boy tried to comfort his sister. His hands at his side were clenched into fists.

"Children these days just don't have proper manners. They should be taught not to talk back to their elders. Looks like your parents forgot to teach you that. Shall we do them the favor of teaching it to you?" The other slightly smaller man said, beating his wooden staff lightly on his hand.

Kenshin watched all these in distaste. He placed a hand at the hilt of his sword and started walking closer, ready to interfere when someone else beat him to it.

"_Oi_! You thugs have been very noisy for quite a while now," a voice stated from somewhere in the gathering crowd. A girl with purplish black hair stepped forward. To Kenshin's surprise, it was the girl from last night.

"What'd ya say?!" The man yelled in anger.

"It was so annoying listening to the two of you whine over something so trivial. Why don't you both be a man and stop picking on little kids," she said coolly with her hands on her hips. The two children slowly stepped away and stood at the side with the quickly gathering crowd.

"How dare you talk to us that way?! Who do you think you are you ugly bitch?!"The man with the staff shouted.

The girl's face twitched in aversion.

"That's not how you talk to a girl after boldly stating that you'll teach these kids some manners, _**mister**_. I'm already in a really bad mood to begin with without you calling me names. I'll show you what's ugly when I deform that already hideous face of yours," the girl said in annoyance.

"_**I'll**_ be the one tearing your face apart, bitch!" The man charged angrily at her with his wooden staff. The girl dodged his attack and landed her elbow on the man's back. The man tumbled over just as his other companion charged at her with his fist. She crouched to the ground just in time and swept the man's legs with one of her own. The man fell down and she landed an elbow to his chest. Seeing that the man was still conscious, the girl gave the man a hard punch in the face.

"You bitch! You'll pay for this," the man with the staff said. He had recovered from her previous attack and was now looking furiously at her.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The man yelled as he charged at her, but his wooden staff was held down. The man suddenly twisted the staff and pulled out a blade from it. The wooden staff was actually a hidden sword.

Kenshin didn't miss this and watched in alarm as the man was only inches away from the girl. He threw his bucket away as his hands went to his sword. He had already started dashing towards them when she saw the girl take something from her hip at the last minute. Then the sound of metal against metal reverberated above the gasps of the people watching. He stopped in the middle of his steps and watched as the girl blocked the sword with a _tanto_. She pushed the man back and jumped back a couple of feet herself. She crouched a little and raised her _tanto_ defensively over her chest. She was breathing hard and her face still showed shock.

The man charged again with his sword raised high in the air, yelling as he did. The girl took a sidestep and the sword slashed through the air where her head had been one second ago. She quickly grabbed the man's arms and raised it high in the air as she kicked him hard on the crotch. The man grunted in pain. His sword cluttered to the ground behind him. The man fell on his knees and finally collapsed with his face to the ground. The girl squatted beside him and grabbed his hair to pull his head up.

"What did you say about you tearing my face apart?" The girl asked venomously calm as she was dangerously sliding the tip of her _tanto_ all over the man's face. The man shivered in fear as he followed the blade with his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry. W-we promise n-not to do it again. P-please," the man stuttered.

Kenshin watched nervously at the scene. This definitely was not good. He was glad that the girl had beaten those thugs and protected those children, but this part was really not necessary.

"Apologize to the children. I would have liked you both to do it but it appears that your companion is still fast asleep," the girl said as she slid her _tanto_ down the man's neck and rested it there. The man looked at the children from the corner of his eyes.

"F-forgive us," the man murmured.

"We can't hear you," the girl said. "Do it properly."

The man gritted his teeth. It was clear that the man despised the idea of apologizing to the children. But he quickly changed his mind when the girl pressed the _tanto_ a little harder on his neck.

"We're sorry!" The man blurted out to the children.

"That's better. And now for calling me a…what was that?"

The man whimpered and stared at her worriedly.

"What did you call me earlier?" The girl asked nonchalantly as though she was only asking him about the weather.

"A-an ugly b-bitch," the man said faintly.

"Sorry? I didn't hear you."

"A-an u-ugly b-bitch," the man said a little louder.

"Oh, right. You know I heard of a saying once before, something like if you call a girl pretty she can forget about it in an hour, but if you call her ugly she'll think about it every day. What do you think I should do about it?"

"I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to. I was only angry…a-and drunk," the man shivered in fear.

"Hmmm? But that really doesn't change anything you know. Ah! Maybe I'll somehow feel a little better if I cut your tongue off. That's right! Oh don't worry. I'll be very gentle," the girl said brightly.

She slid her blade just a few centimeters from the corner of the man's mouth. The crowd around them gasped and looked worriedly at the two, not quite sure whether they should interfere.

"PLEASE! Please I'm sorry!" The man begged.

"Now show me your tongue. You wouldn't want me to rip your mouth to get it out myself," the girl ordered, ignoring him.

"Now that's enough, don't you think?" Kenshin interfered, smiling hesitantly at the girl. "I think they have already learned their lesson, that they have."

The girl gave a sigh and slightly slammed the man's face back to the ground.

"My, you're spoiling my fun. I was only scaring him," the girl grumbled at him. She sheathed her _tanto_ and put it away. They heard the sound of a whistle and the police arrived moments later to arrest the men.

"You bitch! I'll make sure you pay for this someday," the man hissed as the police carried him and his half-conscious companion away.

"Sure. It would be my pleasure to kick your ass again," the girl answered and gave him a mocking bow.

The man scowled in anger but couldn't really do anything with the police literally dragging him away.

"I really should have cut his tongue off," the girl muttered to herself. Kenshin looked uncomfortably at her. He didn't know what to make of this girl. She doesn't seem to be a bad person, but she's also a little too hostile. He smiled the thought away. It didn't really matter. Besides, it was never in his character to judge others.

He saw the children approach them a moment later. The little girl tugged at the girl's _hakama_.

"Hmm?"

"_Arigato,onee-chan_," the little girl said softly.

She smiled and squatted beside the girl. "You're welcome _ojou-chan._"

The little girl smiled shyly.

"Thank you for saving us. And we're sorry for the trouble. If only I was big and strong...," her brother said clenching his fists, his words faded as frustration etched all over his young features.

"_Ara_," the girl muttered and smiled. "You know, you remind me of someone. And that someone is really brave and strong."

"Really?" The boy beamed.

"Yup! And you are just like him. And I know you'll be greater when you grow up. So there's no need to feel so down. You did a great job in protecting your sister," the girl said and patted the boy's head.

"Mm!" The boy nodded.

Kenshin smiled as he watched the two children run off happily.

"Oh, you're still here," the girl said disinterestedly at him. She gave a big yawn and stretched her arms upward. "Is that a sword?"

"Uh, yes," Kenshin answered.

"You know, it's forbidden to carry a sword. You better put that away before the police arrest you like those two," she told him.

"Well, this is actually a reversed-edge sword," Kenshin explained and partially unsheathed his sword for her to see. "The sharp edge was made facing the other side so it's impossible to kill someone with this kind of sword."

The girl examined it for a moment then finally said, "I really don't see why that should be an exception. All you have to do is flip it if you ever decide to cut someone down. But if the police say that's fine then I guess it's okay. Besides, you look like you don't even know how to use that thing properly."

Kenshin gave an awkward laugh and scratched his head.

"Gaaah! I'm hungry. Where should I go for dinner," the girl muttered to herself, which reminded him of his own dinner. He found the bucket lying somewhere on the ground and was relieved to see that the tofu still lay safely inside it. He should be preparing dinner by now. Kaoru would definitely scold him when he got home. He picked the bucket up and decided to hurry back to the dojo when he remembered the bracelet. He looked back to where the girl had been standing earlier but she was no longer there. He scanned the crowd and he easily found her.

"_Ano," _he called out. The girl stopped on her tracks as he rushed towards her.

"What?" The girl said, looking a little annoyed when she saw that it was him again. "Hey, are stalking me or something? Coz if you are I've had enough of that for today."

"Actually I –"

"And you look very familiar. I know I've already seen you somewhere before but I couldn't quite remember exactly where. Tell me, have you been following me? Why? What do you want?"

"No, I'm not really following you, that I'm not," Kenshin smiled uneasily. The girl had an unbelievably quick-shifting mood and a short temper.

"What do you want then?" The girl leaned closer, eyeing him suspiciously. Once again he was confronted by a faint scent of _sakura_ above the smell of dirt and sweat.

"Actually," he said and reached for his pocket. He held the bracelet out to her. "I only wanted to ask you if this is yours."

The girl's eyes widened in recognition. She snatched the bracelet from his hand and held it over her eyes, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Where did you get this?" She asked.

"I saw it on the ground last night where we collided," Kenshin answered.

"Where we colli…Ah! You were **_that_** guy!"

"That is correct. I thought it might get damaged if I left it there so I decided to pick it up," he explained.

"So that's why I couldn't find it when I went there earlier," the girl said.

"You did?"

"Yes. I went there this morning," the girl informed him.

"I'm sorry. We must have missed each other. I also went there early this morning and waited for a while but no one came looking for it. I tried again this afternoon before I went here to shop."

"Oh," the girl responded looking a little confused. "Why?"

"_Oro?_"

"Why'd you pick it up? I mean this shouldn't be anything you needed to concern yourself about. And you even went through the trouble of returning it."

"I just had a feeling that it was something important. I couldn't leave it alone, that I couldn't."

"Well then...a_rigato_," the girl finally said softly and held the bracelet close to her heart.

For the first time he saw gentleness from the girl's usual rough expressions. The bracelet really must have been very important to her.

"Don't worry about it," he answered.

"And sorry about last night."

"It's okay. You were running fast so you must not have noticed me there," Kenshin said.

"No, I wasn't referring to that. Well, I mean I'm also sorry I bumped into you. But...sorry about the punch. There was a lot going on in my head that time so I didn't immediately notice that you were…there…under me, and when I did I kinda panicked so…," she said looking a little uneasy.

Kenshin laughed and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm perfectly fine now, that I am."

"You sure? I knew the punch was quite a hard one. You look so frail that I was a little worried I might have broken your jaw or something."

"Well, it did hurt but I was able to treat it right away. It doesn't hurt as much anymore, that it doesn't."

The truth was, his face was still a little sore but it wasn't really a big deal. He has had far more serious injuries before that this was just something trivial.

"That's good to hear," she said in relief.

"How's your elbow?" Kenshin asked, remembering her injury last night.

"Oh this?" She asked, showing him her wounded elbow. "It stings a little when I move too much, but this is really nothing."

"Shouldn't you tend to that wound?" Kenshin advised when he noticed that the wound seemed like it hasn't been tended to.

"It's just a small abrasion. It will heal soon," she said uncaringly.

Kenshin was still unconvinced but he decided to let the matter go. It was none of his business anyway.

"Huh?" The girl muttered as she looked at her left knee. There was another graze there but it looked fresh. "_Ara_, I must've gotten this a while ago. Man, those thugs are trouble."

"You were great back there. You were able to beat those guys and protect those children," Kenshin commented.

"Not really. I could tell they were not fighters but just some drunken bastards. And there were only two of them so I was confident that I could take them on. The sword got me suprised for a while though. If I had been a second late I would definitely have been a goner. Well, I gotta go now. Thanks again for returning this back to me. I'll see you around!"

The girl left without even waiting for him to answer. He watched the girl disappear into the crowd and realized that he also needed to be on his way. He hurried back home and braced himself for some serious scolding from a worried Kaoru and a hungry Sanosuke.

* * *

**Reference:**

Ano – Uhmm / Excuse me

Ara – could mean any of these depending on how it's used: oh my! / oh my god! / oh! / huh? / oh?

Arigato – Thank you

Hakama – traditional garment similar to trousers that is worn over a _kimono_ or _gi_, originally worn by men.

Kami/Kamisama – God

Kuso – Dammit! / Damn!

Nii-chan (Onii-chan) – older brother

Ojou-chan – little miss / missy

Onee-chan – older sister

Oro/Ororo – a unique way of saying '_ara_'

Sakura – cherry blossom

Tabi – traditional ankle-high socks that has a cleft to separate the thumb from the other toes.

Tanto – a traditional dagger used for closed ranged combat, often carried around by women in the past for self defense

Tofu – soybean curd; a cheese-like food made by coagulating soybean juice and pressing the resulting curd into blocks, often used to replace meat

Zori – traditional slippers often made of cloth, rice straw or other plant fibers


	4. Chapter 3 - Wanted

**A/N: **Thanks to the readers who gave reviews and followed this story. I was starting to wonder if people are really reading this. Nyahaha! You guys made my day._Honto ni arigato_!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

* * *

**Chapter 3 : Wanted**

It has been three days since the theft at the Asamoto mansion. By now, news about the thief being a girl has spread all around Tokyo. Ryuu wasn't really sure how he should feel about it. Of course he should be feeling happy since it meant that he was far from being caught by the authorities, but he also didn't like the thought of having someone else take the blame for his wrongdoings, let alone a girl. Two days had passed since the day he met the girl and had a chat with her at the river. It wasn't actually what he can call a chat but it was probably the closest to one he'll ever get from a girl with a temper like hers. She probably has the worst temperament he has ever seen. He couldn't really blame her. After all, she's in a lot of trouble because of him, whether it was unintentional or not. He had not originally planned on really talking to her that day. He only wanted to know if she would recognize him or not, and planned on blackmailing her if she did, but things turned out differently. Well, in a way he had been successful with the blackmail. At least he was sure that the girl won't tell on him for the time being. And even if she did, no one would really believe her. However his conscience won't let him sleep if she did get arrested. He tried looking for her every time he strolled around town but he wasn't able to find her.

_Maybe she went into hiding_, he finally thought. Suddenly, someone dragged him into a nearby dark alley and pinned him into a wall. To his surprise, it was her.

"YOU LOATHSOME PIECE OF TRASH!" The girl screeched, clenching the front of his _gi_.

"Whoah! I didn't know you were that excited to see me –"

He didn't have time to finish what he said as the girl pinned him harder against the wall. He glared up at him as though she was ready to skin him alive that very moment.

"Tell them the truth! Go to the police and tell them the truth!"

"I can't do that –"

"Tell them or I'll kill you!" She said in all seriousness.

"Why don't you calm down first? Okay?" He said trying to ease her murderous disposition.

"Calm down? You think I can calm down? Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me? I can't walk around town without thinking that someone will come to arrest me or point a sword at my face any moment! I can't even go outside whenever I want coz those guards are waiting to cut me down the moment I show up!"

"Wait, what?"

"Asamoto's guards, they've been roaming around town and I know they're looking for me!"

He just stared at her for a moment. He didn't know about it. "Are you sure about that?"

"Green and orange _haori_s, who else could they be? It seems like you stole something very important. I want you to surrender now and give me my life back!"

"But I can't do that," he said calmly.

"What?! So you really want me to suffer for _**your**_ crime?" She raged.

"I didn't say that," he said trying to gently move her hands away but she didn't let go of his _gi_. "We're not even sure yet if those guards really recognized you. It was pretty dark back then and they might not have gotten a good look at you. All they know is that it's a girl. For all we know they're just searching heedlessly for some random girl out there who'd fit their description of you."

"And what if you're wrong and I get arrested?"

"Then that's when I come out."

"What?" She said a little surprised. She had not expected his answer.

"If they arrest you, I'll tell them the thief was me," he stated, staring at her intently.

"Why?!" She leered at him suspiciously.

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Why would you do that?!" She probed, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"As you said, I can't let somebody else suffer for the consequences of my crime."

"That sounds really suspicious!" She hissed, tightening her hold on his _gi_.

"Hey I'm not as bad as you think I am."

"How would I know I can trust you?"

"You wouldn't. You'll just have to take my word for it."

"That's bullcrap!" She spat, every bit of her anger showing on her face. Her hold on his _gi_ was starting to choke him. He could choose to forcefully push her away but he didn't want to hurt her.

"It's not like you have any other choice. Even if you go out there and tell 'em I did it, no one will believe you unless I admit to my crime, which is something I don't plan on doing yet. There's really nothing else you can do but to trust me," he stated.

She bit her lip in frustration.

"Look, whether you trust me or not, it's really up to you. You can kill me now if you want but killing me won't help you," he said calmly. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not trying to pin this on you or anything. But you see _jou-chan_, I also can't just get myself locked up in jail when I know there's another way."

She seemed to be thinking hard. Her brows creased and she was tapping her feet in agitation.

"You swear to keep that promise?" She finally said.

"Yeah."

"Do you swear to keep that promise?" She pressed louder, moving her face closer to his. She was staring at his eyes intently, as though she was trying to uncover even the smallest hint of lie in there.

"I do solemnly swear that I will keep my promise. Satisfied? Now please remove your hands on my clothes before you tear them apart. On the other hand, this position isn't really that bad. With your face this close it would look like you're trying to force a kiss on me. I really wouldn't mind if you ever decide on doing that," he grinned roguishly.

The girl's jaw dropped at what he said before she punched him hard in the face. He nearly toppled to the ground. He stood up, rubbing his jaw and tasted blood in his mouth.

"What'd you do that for? That hurt you know," he grumbled.

"You deserved it," the girl said indignantly.

"Man! Couldn't you at least just have slapped me like a normal girl?"

"If by normal girls you mean those who prostrate themselves before drunken men at some bar, then you obviously have a horrible taste in women. You better be thankful that's all you got. Perverts like you piss me off."

"I'm not a pervert," he said. But she was right about the women at the bars part. He laughed, fascinated. The girl stared at him in confusion.

"You're interesting," he said and laughed some more. "But you do know you don't look much like a girl yourself."

"I don't want to hear that from someone like you!" She spat. "So what do you propose I should do? I've got things to do. I can't hide and just wait for things to cool down."

"Hmmm…," he muttered and thought about it for a few minutes.

"Hmmm what?" The girl asked impatiently.

"Meet me here tomorrow around noon," he declared.

"Why would I do that?" She hissed instantly.

"Since we can assume that they really didn't get a good look at you, all we need to do is to change your appearance a little."

"And how do we do that?"

"Leave it to me. Just come here tomorrow. In the meantime, refrain from going out too much."

She didn't answer but only continued to give him suspicious looks.

"Fine," she finally answered. "You better not be plotting something."

"If I had wanted to do something I would have done it by now, when I'm sure that no one will help you. With that small body of yours, it's pretty easy to break you,_ojou-chan_," he said coldy, giving her a hostile smile.

"I'd like to see you try!" The girl raged already moving to attack him. He moved a few steps back defensively and raised his hands up as he saw the girl ready to throw him another punch.

"Whoa! Whoa! Kidding! I'm just kidding!"

The girl stopped her fist in midair but she still looked royally pissed.

"Besides, couldn't you be a little more grateful? Even though this mess was my fault I could still choose to just leave you on your own. But I'm actually helping you, aren't I?"

The girl seemed to realize this just now. She gave him both an angry and conceding look.

"Whatever! You better not be late!" She barked and stormed away.

_I still didn't get her name_, he realized after some time.

He rubbed his still throbbing jaw and tried to move it around. It didn't seem to be broken. It was the first time that a girl had ever punched him, and for something which normally would have made other girls blush. In fact, it was the first time that a girl has treated him with so much hostility despite his efforts of being 'friendly'.

"What a troublesome girl," he murmured to himself as he watched her walk away.

* * *

Aki spent most of her time inside her room. She didn't want to be cooped up in that tiny little space but she knew it was for the best.

_This is all that bastard's fault_, she thought. She was starting to sizzle with anger again. She vowed to make the thief pay for all of it someday. But she has to set aside that thought for now since no matter how hard she denies it, she knows she'll be needing his help.

She was not able to do anything the past two days. Since the guards and now the police are hunting her, her movements are now limited. She had settled in doing whatever she can in the meantime. Returning to the mansion was out of the question, and so was meeting her brother. She had decided to finally start looking for Hiragata Masashi. He was her father's close friend back in the days and she heard that her father entrusted his will to him. She learned that the man was now working for the government as a civil affairs official. She had no idea how he had gotten the position since he was also a supporter of the shogunate during the revolution just like her father. She was starting to worry if she can still trust him after learning that, but he probably was the only person who can help her. So far she had no idea how to get in contact with him yet. Besides, she still needed proof to convince him that she is her father's daughter. And that proof for now was still out of her reach.

She had also tried digging some information on his uncle, Hyosuke Asamoto. She had been very shocked back then when she learned that her brother was under his care. She could not imagine how Asamoto would accept such an arrangement. Later on, she learned that his father had left a will stating that if anything happens to him, all his properties were to be divided among his children. A small portion was also allotted to his half-brother, Asamoto Hyosuke. If in any case something should also happen to his children, then all of Nakamura family's possessions will be given to the shogunate. She could easily guess that Asamoto then had taken the position of being Ichiro's legal guardian when he learned of the will, being the only living relative of the family. And since Ichiro was way too young back then, the responsibility of managing the family's wealth naturally fell on his hands.

_Clever bastard_, Aki thought bitterly.

What concerned her was for how long his uncle would continue the scheme. Ichiro is already a grown man. He would be turning 20 like her next year but according to the information she had gathered, Asamoto was still the one heading the family's wealth. Asamoto would have to hand over his control to Ichiro sooner or later. Something wasn't right. She knows Asamoto was the kind of person who would not willingly give up things like money and power. It is very unlikely that he would be willing to let Ichiro take over. He definitely is planning something, but what? And why wasn't Ichiro not the one managing the family's wealth yet? Did Ichiro not want to take it?

Her brain was throwing her too many questions and her head was starting to hurt from trying to figure out the answers.

"Ugh," she sighed, giving up. There were too many things running on her mind that she can't think of anything properly. Finally, she decided that a few drinks would help soothe her mind. She quickly headed out into the already dimming streets. It was already dusk. She knows she was supposed to stay inside as much as possible especially after sunset but she really could use some fresh air. Furthermore, it was almost time for dinner and she was getting sick of the horrible food offered at the inn.

"I'll be real quick," she reasoned, trying to assure herself. Besides, she was running low on funds so she can't stay out to drink to her heart's content even if she wanted to.

She went to Akabeko, a _sukiyaki_ restaurant. She heard that the restaurant offers great food but at an affordable price and that they also serve _sake_. She was astonished to see the number of people inside. It was still a little early for dinner but the restaurant was already packed with people. It wasn't really as grand as she had imagined but it looked clean and cozy. The tables were placed in cubicles to imitate a make-shift room. She guessed that it was supposed to make the customers feel as though they are in their own homes while they ate their _sukiyaki_.

"_Irashaimase_," a cute young girl with short brown hair greeted her.

"Oh hi," she said. "Is there still space for me?"

"Yes. Please come this way," the girl said and led her into an empty cubicle around the corner. "What would be your order?"

"Hmmm," she muttered thoughtfully. "Well, it's kinda lonely eating _sukiyaki_ by myself. Do you serve _ramen_?"

"Yes," she answered.

"I'll have that then and a bottle of _sake_. And if it's okay, please make the _ramen_ extra spicy."

"_Wakarimashita_."

"Thanks. Oh, where's the toilet?"

"Just go straight past the cubicles then turn left," the girl directed.

"Thanks," she said and stood up.

"You're welcome," the girl replied and left to attend to her orders.

She started making her way to the toilet. She almost literally jumped a few feet back when she passed one cubicle. Inside were men wearing green _haori_s with orange triangular patterns. She stayed hidden for a while, trying to eavesdrop on them. She had heard other people coming in and she knew she must look really suspicious but she really didn't care.

"Oh, hello there!" Someone called out to her.

She turned around to see a short guy with a scar on his cheek whose hair reminded her of carrots. It was the guy who had returned her bracelet. He was smiling like an idiot like he usually did and was walking towards her. She scowled at him and without thinking, dragged him into the vacant cubicle next to the guards'.

"_Ororo_," she heard the redhead mutter as she almost smashed his face into the wooden floor.

"SHHH!" she hissed and tried to concentrate on the guards' conversation. The redhead looked at her in confusion but she just gave him a 'make-some-noise-and-I'll-kill-you' death glare. The redhead seemed to understand what she was trying to say and stayed quiet.

She sighed. They didn't seem to be talking about anything concerning her. She turned her attention back to the redhead.

"If anyone asks, tell them you haven't seen me, understood?" She leaned, literally hissing at his face.

"Alright…," he answered hesitantly.

"Kenshin! Hey Kenshin! Where are you?" Someone was shouting nearby.

A girl with black hair and blue eyes passed their cubicle and stared at them wide-eyed. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh Kenshin. There I was looking all over for you because I was worried that you suddenly went missing then I finally find you here doing _Kami _knows what. Mind explaining yourself?" The girl sizzled.

"_Oro_," the redhead muttered and stared at her in terror.

"Well?" The girl demanded.

Aki scowled at the two in annoyance. They were making too much noise. She left the cubicle and quickly went back to hers, leaving the two to settle things on their own. Her _ramen_ and _sake_ were already at her table. She shifted uneasily on her seat. She couldn't help but feel nervous. She would probably be okay if she'll just make sure she doesn't draw any attention to herself. Her cubicle was located at the corner so there is a big chance that the guards will not notice her if they passed by. And even if they did, they might not recognize her, just as the thief had said. She decided to take her time. She didn't know how long the guards had been there and she definitely didn't want to meet them at the exit. She decided that she'll wait for them to leave first. She had finished her _ramen_ and was on her last cup of_sake_ but she still didn't see the guards leave. The crowd inside the restaurant was starting to thin. Even the redhead and his companions were already starting to leave.

_Are they planning to sleep here?_ She thought, irritated.

She thought hard on what to do. If she continued to wait, there'd be less people left inside by the time they decide to leave and she might risk herself getting noticed. Finally, she decided to just leave first. She downed her _sake_ in one go and left her payment on the table. The moment she went out of her cubicle, she saw that the guards had also just gotten out from theirs. She considered going back to her cubicle but it was already too late. One of the guards had already noticed her and was now giving her scrutinizing looks. It would be too suspicious to go back inside. She made her way towards the exit like any other ordinary customer. She fought the urge to run away while she was still inside. Once she was out, she walked a few steps away from the entrance and finally broke into a run. She sure hoped that the guard didn't recognize her.

"Hold it!" Someone shouted to her dismay. She ran faster as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She decided to zigzag her way just like last time, since staying on the main road would only increase the chances of her getting caught. She was not familiar with the streets of Tokyo but she cared less where the alleys would take her. She'll just have to figure her way back later. What's important to her for now was to lose those guards. She just hoped that she won't get herself caught on a dead end.

And as though the heavens were playing mad jokes on her, she did end up in a dead end. She looked around desperately for a way out. She even decided that she'd break in on any window she'll find but there was none. The guards caught up with her shortly. Five big men were now blocking the entrance of the dark alley.

"You sure have a lot of energy missy," one of the guards said. "Don't you know it's bad for the digestion to run just after eating?"

"I'll make sure we make you pay for running around like that," another one spoke.

"What do you want?!" She barked, trying her best to hide the nervousness that was quickly building up inside her.

"Stop pretending that you don't know what we want. It's not gonna work," one of them snickered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she persisted. Her voice was starting to shake.

"But you do. Isn't that why you run away? You filthy little thief." The guards jeered at her.

"I'm sorry but you have the wrong person so leave me alone," she said with all the confidence she can muster.

"Stop lying bitch! Did you really think we will not recognize you, and after running away like that? Just surrender and we might consider not hurting your pretty little face. We'll just settle for your body. It's not really much but it will do," one of them smirked as his eyes traveled leisurely all over her body. The other men laughed at what he said.

Her face twisted in disgust. She was aware of what their dirty little minds were thinking. She wanted to take their eyes out for making those disgusting looks on her.

"_Kuso_!" She swore under her breath. She needed to think fast. Her few skills with the _tanto_ made her a little capable with close-ranged combats. It would have been an advantage if only there were not five of them. Usually, she can take on three at most, given that her opponents are not fighters. But she knew these men can fight, if not skilled, as they are guards of a wealthy businessman. Furthermore there were five of them. What's worse, she already ran out of explosives to cover for an escape. She knew she was in a really bad position.

"I don't know what's going on here but I don't like what I'm hearing, that I don't," a voice sounded in the darkness.

The guards turned to look at the owner of the voice behind them.

Aki's eyes widened. It was the red haired man. She didn't recognize him right away since he sounded different from how he usually does. His tone was serious, almost cold, and his usually credulous expression looked as serious as he sounded.

"HUH?! And who are you?" One of the guards said.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, but I will take you on if you hurt her in any way, that I will," the redhead stated.

"WHAT? Did you just say you'll take us on? Hahahaha!" A guard snorted and his companions laughed. The redhead did not answer and only eyed the men intently. "I suggest you mind your own business if you don't want to get hurt."

"If someone is getting hurt tonight, I can assure you that it won't be me," the redhead answered as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What do you think you're doing, _baka_!" Aki yelled. "Go now while you still can! I can handle these fleas."

"Oh, I see. You know each other. Are you her accomplice?" A guard said.

"Leave him alone! He's got nothing to do with this!" Aki snapped.

"Oh? I don't think so."

"Your opponent is me. Let the guy go," she said.

"Hmm? But your friend here seems to have another idea," the guard answered as the redhead still had not moved from where he stood

"_Baka!_ GO NOW!" Aki yelled in frustration.

_Why is he trying to be a hero? What can he possibly do, and with that strange sword of his? Does he want to die?_ She thought in exasperation.

It was bad enough that she wasn't sure if she could even make it out there alive. And it's definitely worse now that she needed to protect someone else.

"Leave him alone. I told you he's got nothing to do with me. I don't know him!" Aki told the guards.

"Let the girl go peacefully and I can assure you that no one will get hurt," the redhead stated.

"Hmm?" The guard muttered a little amused and turned to the redhead. "You see boy, this girl right he ef. She stole something important from our master so we are only doing our jobs."

"If she really is a thief then you should hand her over to the police, that you should," the redhead answered.

"Oh we will, when we're done with our _business_," the guard answered and the others laughed with him wickedly.

"Then you leave me no choice," the redhead said in a colder tone, his eyes narrowing into slits as he moved his hands to his sword.

"So, you still plan on taking us on huh?" The guard said as he moved his hand to unsheathe his own sword. "Let's see how far that arrogance will get you –"

He wasn't able to finish what he was saying since Aki already landed a blow to his face. He toppled to the ground in shock. His companions were also stunned for a moment and Aki took the opportunity to dash past them and took the redhead by the wrist

"_Oro?_" He muttered, his eyes wide in surprised but she just ignored him as she literally dragged him with her.

"Get her!" She heard a shout behind her as the sound of the guards chasing after them echoed in her ears. Aki gritted her teeth as the sound of their footsteps got closer.

"I want you to continue running while I hold them off," she told the redhead as they ran. He looked surprised at what she said.

"But –"

"Just go!" She said as she let his wrist go and turned around to face her opponents. She took out her _tanto_ seeing that their swords were already unsheathed.

She immediately moved to attack the guard who came first. She quickly sent him to the ground when she kicked his crotch area with her knees. That technique had always worked on guys based on her experience. The next one arrived shortly and she quickly buried her elbows under his chin without giving him a time to attack. She quickly threw the second guy to the ground just in time for her to block the sword of her third attacker. She pushed him back as she jumped away herself. The other two had already gathered around him while the two she knocked down earlier had also recovered.

She breathed heavily. She was doomed. There was no way she could defeat all these men. She just hoped that the stupid redhead had gotten far enough. But she was startled when she heard a sound of movement behind her.

"You're still here?!" She yelled in anger when she saw that the redhead was still standing behind her. He took a step forward, his hand at the hilt of his sword. "You stupid carrot head! I told you to run!"

"Game's over missy. You'll pay for this," the man he had just punched said as he rubbed the spot where her blow landed.

She charged at him, now desperate, before the redhead could start doing something reckless. The man easily blocked her _tanto_ with his sword.

"Run!" She yelled at the redhead and got frustrated when she still hadn't heard him run. "Run for _Kami_'s sake!"

The man jerked her _tanto_ away with his sword and made a slash at her. She barely dodged it and the blade scraped her shoulder. She moved away putting a hand on her bleeding shoulder but the man was already moving to attack her again. In the corner of her eye, she saw something red dash past her and in the blink of an eye, the redhead was already in front of her, blocking the man's attack. She had no time to recover from her shock as the redhead pushed the man's sword away and swiftly turned his way to the man's side, swinging his sword towards the man's nape. A loud crack sounded and at the same time the man gave a short gasp of pain. The man fell on his knees, his mouth hanging open and his pupils rolled up his lids. He then collapsed face-first to the ground. Another guard started to attack but the redhead also defeated him with ease.

Aki stared wide-eyed at the redhead before him. He looked so small and frail that it actually deceived her to think that he was weak, but he was surprisingly skilled with a sword.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!" One of the three still standing guards yelled at him. The redhead didn't seem to be shaken by the man's threat. He just positioned himself in a defensive stance. Aki could almost feel her heart stop beating for a few moments when she saw the three guards started charging at him all at once. Aki watched in fear for him. She wanted to help him but her body wouldn't move. The confusing jumble of too many intense emotions she was feeling at the same time rooted her to the spot.

Suddenly, she felt her pulse start to race. Her vision begun to blur and she felt her body sag. She quickly squinted her eyes to where the fighting was but her vision only got more blurred each passing second and it was getting harder to breathe. She saw the blurry vision of the guards slashing at the redhead simultaneously. She had expected to hear the wet sound of blades cutting on human flesh, but all she heard were blades cutting through thin air. She was not sure of what happened since she could now only make out silhouettes of them. Her knees started to buckle under her and she felt her strength starting to wane. She gave a soft gasp as she fell on her knees and was able to support her body from completely collapsing with a trembling hand.

"Are you alright _ojou-san_?" She heard the worried voice of the redhead over the clash of swords. Everything sounded muffled and distant. She clenched her hand harder on the throbbing wound on her shoulder. She bent on the ground desperately, trying not to give in to her quickly diminishing strength.

_What's happening?_ She panicked. Her breathes came harder by the second. Her head felt like it was spinning.

"_Ojou-san_ are…..," she heard his voice again but she was no longer able to hear the rest. Her vision started to dim until it finally faded into total darkness.

* * *

**End of Chapter Notes: **My dear readers, let me know what you think about this story so far. And I hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me if there are spelling and grammar mistakes, and other things that don't work. XD ... This is the first fic I ever dared to publish here and I don't have a beta reader, or anyone else for that matter who checks on my story first before I publish it... There's just me and my word processing software that is kind enough to point out my spelling mistakes... XD... Thanks for reading this far~!

**Reference:**

Ara – could mean any of these depending on how it's used: oh my! / oh my god! / oh! / huh? / oh?

Baka – Stupid / Idiot / Dummy

Gi – literally translates to 'clothes' but in this story, it refers to a short robe-like top often paired with _hakama_, (used during martial arts training like karate in the modern world);

Hakama – traditional garment similar to trousers that is worn over a _kimono_ or _gi_, originally worn by men.

Haori – a hip-length or thigh-length _kimono_-like garment worn over a _kimono_; used the same way as a jacket

Irashaimase – Welcome / Welcome to our shop

Kami/Kamisama – God

Kimono – traditional Japanese clothing worn by men and women. The hem of these full length robes usually falls to the ankles, but the more extravagant ones can be longer with floor-length sleeves.

Kuso – Dammit! / Damn!

Ojou-chan – little miss / missy

Jou-chan – a shortened / slang way of saying_ ojou-chan_

Ojou-san – Miss

Oro/Ororo – a unique way of saying '_ara_'

Ramen – a Japanese noodle dish, consisting of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in meat or fish-based broth and is often topped with thinly sliced meat, green onions, dried seaweed and occasionally corn.

Sake – rice wine, a traditional Japanese liquor

Sukiyaki – a stew style Japanese hot pot dish usually consisting of beef and vegetables, simmered in a large pot at the center of the dining table as you eat. Hot pot dishes are meant to be shared by many people, mostly among family members.

Tanto – a traditional dagger used for closed ranged combat, often carried around by women in the past for self defense

Wakarimashita – Understood / Got it


	5. Chapter 4 - No Life Is Not Worth Saving

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

* * *

**Chapter 4 : No Life Is Not Worth Saving**

Kaoru anxiously paced back and forth. It was getting late and Kenshin was still not back.

_Kaoru-dono, please head back first. There's something I need to check_, was all Kenshin had said when they got out from the Akabeko. She gave him a tentative nod and he then rushed off without further ado. She had waited for over two hours now but still no Kenshin appeared through the gate. She was really worried. She regretted not asking him where he was going or what exactly did he plan on checking.

"Will you stop that already Kaoru? You're making me dizzy!" Yahiko yelled from the hallway. He was sitting there with Sanosuke and apparently both of them were also waiting for Kenshin.

"But Kenshin's not back yet!" She fretted.

"Don't worry too much _jou-chan_. What could possibly happen to that guy? Did he tell you where he was going?" Sanosuke asked.

"Not really. He just said he needed to check on something. I didn't want to sound like I was meddling too much on his affairs and it didn't really look serious so I didn't ask," she explained.

"At worst, he's just probably beating up some bad guys. Damn that Kenshin. He should have taken me along. How could he leave me out on all the fun?" Sanosuke said, cracking his knuckles.

"But if it's taking him this long then he should have at least explained a little before running off to chase that girl," she grouched.

"Wait, a girl?" Sanosuke asked a little surprised.

"Aha! So you are worried because he's with a girl!" Yahiko teased.

"Shut up Yahiko!" She hissed at the boy.

"So he was not checking out _**something**_ but _**someone**_. Now I understand why he couldn't take me along. I'll only spoil the fun."

Two loud thumps echoed through the night as Kaoru landed her fists on their crowns.

"What did you do that for?" Yahiko shrieked angrily.

"I was just kidding," Sanosuke complained as he rubbed the top of his head.

"Don't take it out on us just because you're feeling jealous, you ugly raccoon!" Yahiko accused.

"I'm not jealous!" She shouted, now very irritated. "And it wasn't like that –"

She was not able to finish what she was saying since they finally heard Kenshin come in.

"Ken –" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw he was carrying someone on his back. He quickly rushed to them and all they could do was stare at him in both confusion and shock.

"We need to help her," he said abruptly and rushed towards his room.

His shocked audience finally snapped out of their daze and quickly followed behind him.

"What happened?" Kaoru asked.

"I'll explain later. Yahiko, please prepare my futon! Sano, please get Megumi-dono, quick!" He ordered.

Sanosuke quickly left to get the doctor while Yahiko laid out Kenshin's futon.

"Kaoru-dono, please help me lay her down."

Kaoru was still confused at everything that's happening but she did as he requested. It was the same girl at the restaurant. She was unconscious and her body soaked in perspiration. She looked alarmingly pale and there was blood all over her right sleeve.

"I'll go prepare some hot water," Kenshin said.

"I'll bring out some clean clothes for Megumi to use. Yahiko keep watch on her. Yell if anything happens," she said.

"_Hai_," Yahiko answered as both of them set off to do their tasks.

She immediately searched for clean pieces of cloth along with other things that Megumi might need. She was so confused about everything. It was apparent that Kenshin's business a while ago indeed had something to do with her. But who was she? Does Kenshin know her? Why was she in some kind of trouble? And most importantly, why was Kenshin involved? Too many questions kept on popping on her head but she pushed them aside. She'll worry about all those later. Right now, the girl badly needs their help.

Megumi arrived later with Sanosuke, both panting and almost out of breath. Megumi immediately went to her patient's side the moment she saw her. The girl was now in a much worse state than she had been a while ago. The rhythm of her breathing was critically fast. Her skin was turning into an alarming shade of yellow. Her mouth looked dry and her lips were a shade of purple. Her face twitched in pain and her eyelids trembled. Megumi gave an alarming gasp at the sight of her. She immediately checked her pulse and placed her hands on the girl's wet forehead. She examined the girl's nails which had now also turned purple. She tore the girl's sleeve and made a quick check on her wound and she seemed to have found her answer, but her brows creased in confusion shortly after.

"She's poisoned," she informed them. Everyone gave a short gasped. "The blade used to cut her had poison."

"How bad is it?" Kaoru asked.

"Very bad. The poison is quickly spreading through her body," the doctor said and quickly made a list. "Sano, go to doctor Gensai and bring everything in the list."

"Why do I always have to be the one running around?" Sanosuke complained, having just arrived from fetching Megumi.

"You need to hurry! We have no time," Megumi snapped at him.

"Fine! Leave it to me," Sanosuke said. He gave a frustrated grunt and immediately left.

"Ken-san, bring me some hot water. Yahiko, I need more light! Kaoru, wash your hands. I need you to help me clean her wound."

Everyone quickly set off to do their tasks. Megumi worked expertly while the rest of the Kenshingumi went around following her orders. Sanosuke arrived later with the things she indicated on her list. She quickly made medicine to counter the poison. Beads of perspiration trickled down the side of her cheeks but she had no time to rest. Every precious second wasted could very well lead to her patient's death.

Saito arrived later to everyone's surprise but it seemed like Kenshin was already expecting him.

"What's that guy doing here?" Sanosuke questioned.

"It's late. Is there something you need Saito-san?" Kaoru asked him.

"How's the girl?" Saito asked Kenshin, ignoring everyone's questions.

"Not good. Megumi-dono says she's poisoned," Kenshin answered.

Saito raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

"The sword used to cut her is apparently poisoned," Kenshin informed him.

"Can somebody tell me what's going on?" Kaoru finally snapped. "Kenshin, why is he here? And what happened?"

Kenshin wasn't able to answer since Megumi's sigh caught their attention. After two hours, the doctor finally relaxed. She wiped her sweating forehead with the back of her hand and laid her long hair down.

"Will she be okay?" Yahiko asked.

"I don't know. I did everything I can. Let's hope that the medicine will work on her," the doctor said grimly.

"Wait, you mean you're not sure if your medicine will work?" Sanosuke remarked.

"That's right," the doctor answered and gave them a worried look. "Her mouth's dry, her body is cold and her pulse fast. She also seems to be in a lot of pain. The medicine I gave is an effective antidote for those kinds of poison. The problem is not the medicine but the poison itself. Usually, poisons from weapons do not harm the victims directly. Rather, the poison is used only to infect the wound and it's the infection that eventually puts the victims' lives in danger. Her wound is still fresh but the poison had already spread rapidly through her system."

"It's much like the poison used on Yahiko before," Kaoru commented, remembering what had happened to their friend not too long ago when they got into trouble with the businessman Kanryuu and the oniwabanshu. It had only taken a few seconds for the poison to take effect and put Yahiko's life in danger.

"Yes, and we were lucky back then because I was familiar with the poison. But her symptoms are different from those of Yahiko's. This is an entirely different kind of poison. I'm not exactly sure if it's new but I've never come across anything like this before. I cannot guarantee that I can save her. It's now all up to the medicine and her will to live," the doctor informed them.

"So you're saying she won't be waking up anytime soon," Saito said. It was more of a statement rather than a question.

"That's right," the doctor answered.

"So Kenshin, can you finally explain what's going on?" Kaoru demanded.

"I'm going. We've temporarily locked the guys up. Let me know immediately when the girl wakes up. I can't arrest her in that state," Saito told Kenshin.

"I will. Thanks for all your help," Kenshin told him. He then left immediately. Kenshin turned his attention back to her waiting audience. "First of all, I would like to apologize for running off without properly explaining to you."

"Wait a minute. What did he mean by arresting her?" Kaoru questioned.

"Oi Kenshin, tell us what the hell happened." Sanosuke demanded. "Do you know this girl?"

"I can't exactly say that I know her. But I've met her a few times before. Yahiko too, when we were walking Doctor Gensai and the girls home a few nights ago."

Yahiko frowned, thinking hard. "Oh I remember! That's why I thought she looked familiar. She was that thief!"

"Wait, what? She's a thief?" Sanosuke asked, surprised.

"You brought a thief into our home?" Kaoru yelped.

"Well, I'm not sure about that yet, that I'm not," Kenshin told her as he scratched his head. "When we saw her back then, she was being chased by the guards from the Asamoto mansion."

"Don't tell me she's the one who's been stealing on wealthy businessmen around town?" Sanosuke interrupted.

"That could indeed be her, that it could" Kenshin answered.

"What were you thinking?!" Kaoru yelled.

"Keep your voices down or you'll disturb my patient," Megumi told them off.

"Sorry," Kaoru muttered.

"She doesn't seem to be a bad person, that she doesn't," Kenshin reasoned. "The next time I saw her was at the marketplace. She endangered herself protecting two children who were being harassed by some drunken men."

"Well, if you put it that way, she doesn't seem to be so bad," Kaoru considered.

"What happened tonight?" Sanosuke asked.

"I saw her again at the Akabeko. She had been hiding from Asamoto's guards who were also there. I thought she left but she didn't. I saw her come out from the shop right after we did, and then she started running. Moments later the guards also came out and it looked like they were chasing after her. Asamoto's guards seemed to be dangerous people so I was feeling a little worried. I decided to check for myself and that's why I left and went after them. I saw her being cornered in a dark alley. The guards were planning to do improper things to her so I decided to help her, that I did."

"And her wound?" Megumi inquired.

"She must have thought that I look like couldn't fight so she wouldn't accept accept my help. She fought the guards so I could escape, that she did. That was when she got her shoulder wounded by a sword from one of the guards. I was finally able to fight them without her interferring. While I was fighting, she suddenly collapsed. The police arrived a while later. Saito-san saw that she was hurt and allowed me to take her here."

"We were lucky you arrived here just in time. A little while later and I couldn't have saved her," Megumi said.

"I'm still feeling uneasy about this," Kaoru said fidgeting in her seat. "I'm not trying to be judgemental here or whatever. I mean Yahiko used to be a pickpocket –"

"Hey! I was forced to do it," Yahiko protested.

"We know that," Kaoru told him. "And so I'm saying that maybe she's also in that kind of situation. But what if she's not? What if she's involved with some dangerous people? What if she herself is dangerous? We could be putting ourselves in danger."

"If it's danger you're worried about, Kenshin and I can handle it. Besides, you have here a former pickpocket, a former underground fighter, a former opium maker, and a former manslayer. Adding a big time thief to the group might be interesting," Sanosuke commented.

"Hey, that's not funny. And correction, she's not a _**former**_," Yahiko corrected.

"We'll, we're not even sure yet if she really is the thief," Megumi stated.

"You're right," Kaoru sighed. "For now, let's just hope that she'll survive. Then we can ask her about those things when she gets better."

"Thank you Kaoru-dono," Kenshin smiled gratefully.

"Don't worry about it," Kaoru replied. She couldn't help but smile. Kenshin was the kind of person who would help anybody without second thoughts, regardless of who that person is. He would often say that, "_No life is not worth saving"_. It was in fact because of him that everyone gathered there had come to meet each other. Megumi, Yahiko, Sanosuke, and even she herself, Kenshin had saved them all in some way. It was because of him that everyone was able to break free from their _**former**_ lives, as Sanosuke had put it. The new life they have now, they all owe it to him. And there are many more out there whose hearts are filled with gratitude towards this kind and gentle man standing before her.

"Do you have an extra futon?" Megumi asked. "I'll stay here for the night. I need to keep a close watch on her."

"Sure, I'll go get you one," Kaoru told her.

"I guess I'll stay too," Sanosuke said. "It's pretty late and I'm too sleepy to walk home."

"I also need to prepare myself a room for the next couple of days," Kenshin said, realizing just now that he won't be able to use his room for a while.

"If you're short on rooms, I'll gladly share a room with Ken-san," Megumi purred.

"THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN! There's enough room for everyone! And even if there isn't you're sharing my room no matter how sickening it would be to share it with a vixen like you," Kaoru screeched.

"Why would I want to sleep with an obnoxious girl when I'm sure Ken-san will love the company of a beautiful lady like me. After all, all he sees here everyday is a grumpy raccoon. Hohoho," the doctor goaded and snaked her arms around Kenshin.

Another loud thump echoed through the night as Kaoru stormed away.

"_Ororo._ Why me?" Kenshin muttered as he collapsed in the hallway with a big bump on his head.

"Poor guy," Sanosuke remarked.

"Yeah," Yahiko agreed.

* * *

The next day, Ryuu got up early. It wasn't really as early as how other people would define early, but it was early enough for him. He quickly got dressed and didn't even bother about breakfast. He only had about a few minutes to do some preparations before his appointment at noon. He went straight to Shimabara to look for Kumiko.

"What a surprise to see you here so early Ryuu-san," the _maiko_ greeted him. "Did you miss me perhaps? After all, you have not come here for days."

"I've been kinda busy," he answered bluntly.

"What is it that you need? I know you wouldn't come here this early just to play around," Kumiko told him.

"You really know me well," Ryuu told her as he playfully tipped her chin with his hand. "I need your help."

"What kind of help? Oh, would you like some _sake_?" She asked as she was about to get him one.

"No, no, I won't be staying long," he declined. She sat beside him.

"So what is it?"

"I need you to modify someone."

"Hmm?" The girl asked, a little confused.

"You know, cut her hair, dress her up, anything. Just make her look different."

"Oh, so you want me to dress up your girlfriend?" Kumiko teased.

"No. It's just a favor I had to do. And she's not my girlfriend, _Kami_ forbid."

"Well, it's fine with me as long as it's not on working hours."

"Actually I'm meeting her right after this. Is after lunch ok?"

"That's fine," Kumiko answered.

"Thanks, you really are the best", he said and gently pinched her nose.

"You don't have to bribe me with your feeble compliments," Kumiko said as she stood up.

"Hey, that wasn't a bribe. I meant it," he said and took her by the waist.

"Off you go now or you'll be late," she chuckled and shooed him off.

"Thanks again," he said as he turned to go. He stopped midway and went back to where Kumiko was. He gave her a soft peck on the lips before rushing back outside towards the exit.

He arrived at their meeting place at the exact time. He was a thief, and timing was his thing. As he had expected, she still wasn't there.

_Seriously, what is it with girls and being late? _He frowned.

He leaned against the wall as he waited for her. Quite a while has passed but there was still no sign of the girl. The sun was already at it's highest, and he was thankful for the shade the walls provided. It didn't keep him from sweating though or from slowly losing his temper.

"Where the hell is she? I've been waiting here forever. This isn't even a date for _Kami_'s sake. What's taking her so long?" He grumbled under his breath. The collar of his _gi_ was now drenched in sweat and his stomach was already complaining. He waited a little longer until he finally realized that she was not going to show up.

"_Kuso_! How dare she stood me up after I kindly offered her my help," he cursed. "Whatever! I'm not helping her ever again."

He stormed off and went straight to Akabeko to grab some lunch. Kumiko probably got tired of waiting for them and would definitly give him some scolding. He'll have to sweet talk his way out of her anger later.

"Damn her!" He cursed again and grudgingly chewed on his meal.

"I heard they were Asamoto's guards," a man said from the cubicle across him.

Ryuu's ears perked up upon hearing the mention of Asamoto's guards.

"Good thing no one seemed to have died. But they said it had been quite a fight," he heard another man say.

"Oh it was. I really thought the man had slashed 'em to pieces but turned out they were just knocked down."

"Excuse me," he said as he approached them. "I couldn't help but to overhear your conversation. Can you tell me what happened last night?"

"Asamoto's guards seemed to be causin' trouble. You know 'em arrogant bastards. Always actin' like they own the town. They crossed swords with some man last night. The police came a fterwards to clear the mess. Anyway it's not clear yet what really happened. The police refused to give statements," one of the men explained.

"Do you know who their opponent was?" he asked.

"No, I don't know 'im. But he was quite strong. He defeated 'em without much difficulty. Didn't even scratch 'imself. The girl on the other hand was in a pretty bad shape."

"Wait, there's a girl?" Ryuu asked startled.

"Yeah. She seemd to be with the man. She must've gotten hurt pretty bad since she was covered in blood and collapsed in the middle of the fight."

"Are you sure about this?" He asked now starting to panic.

"Uh-huh. They fought right in front of my house. I didn't get to see the whole thin' clearly though since I was hidin'. I didn't want to get involved you know. Poor girl. Suddenly started gaspin' as though she couldn't breathe. She looked so pale I really thought she died when she collapsed," the man told him.

"Do you know where she is now?" He asked. There was an urgent tone in his voice.

"Nah. But heard she was taken somewhere to be treated. She a friend of yours?"

"I'm not sure yet," he said. His heart was beating frantically inside his chest.

"You better ask the police. They might know where she is. But if I were you, I wouldn't hope much on it. She was in a really bad shape that she practically looked dead. Your friend might not have made it," the man told him.

He immediately run off totally forgetting about his food or his bill. The truth was, he was pretty sure it was her.

_That must be why she didn't come today. If what the man said was true, then she must be in grave danger. That stupid girl! I told her to stay inside,_ he thought desperately. _And I was too confident that she'll be okay. How can you be so stupid Ryuu?_

He immediately stopped running when he found himself in front of the police station. He had unconsciously headed there. He hesitated whether he really should go inside to ask. He didn't have to think any longer since someone else already made the decision for him.

"What do you want?" A tall policeman with killer-cold eyes asked him.

"N-nothing officer. I was just passing by," he answered.

"Don't lie. You've been suspiciously hanging around here for a while now. Spill it," the police said. He threw his cigarette to the ground and squashed it with the heel of his shoe. His attention was now fully on him.

"Actually, about the girl last night, I wanted to ask if you know where she is," he finally said. He knows that lying to this man might probably send his head flying in a matter of seconds.

The man's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How do you know about that?"

"I heard from some men at the Akabeko a little while ago. He said the fight happened right in front of his home."

"And what concern is it of yours?"

"I'm actually looking for my friend. We were supposed to meet a while ago but she didn't come. I was a little worried that she might be the girl the men were talking about," he explained.

"Is there a paticular reason why your friend would get herself involved with Asamoto's men?" The man probed. He was becoming more suspicious now. If he wasn't careful, he'll get both of them in danger.

"I'm not really sure. But she often gets into a lot trouble. She is a little rough and has a short temper. She might have somehow gotten herself mixed up with those men," he answered, trying to look as truthful as he possibly could. Besides, he wasn't exactly lying. Everything he said was the truth, or rather the harmless versions of the truth.

The man was obviously scrutinizing whether he was he was lying or not. His cold eyes were kept fixed on his and his face remained troublingly difficult to read.

"Please, I'm just worried about my friend. I just want to know if it's really her and if she's safe," he said, hoping that he had sounded genuinely convincing.

"She's at the Kamiya dojo. A doctor is attending to her injuries," the man finally said.

"Thank you," he bowed. The man didn't respond. He kept on eyeing him with suspicion, if not hostility . He couldn't guess what he was thinking but he knew he'd better be careful around him.

He run off immediately and realized that he forgot to ask the police for directions.

_Nevermind_, he thought and continued running. He'd just ask for directions along the way. He needed to see her immediately.

* * *

**Reference:**

Ara – could mean any of these depending on how it's used: oh my! / oh my god! / oh! / huh? / oh?

Gi – literally translates to 'clothes' but in this story, it refers to a short robe-like top often paired with _hakama_, (used during martial arts training like karate in the modern world);

Hai – Yes

Hakama – traditional garment similar to trousers that is worn over a _kimono_ or _gi_, originally worn by men.

Kami/Kamisama – God

Kimono – traditional Japanese clothing worn by men and women. The hem of these full length robes usually falls to the ankles, but the more extravagant ones can be longer with floor-length sleeves.

Kuso – Dammit! / Damn!

Maiko – apprentice _geisha_, often generally called _o-shaku (one who pours alcohol)_

Oro/Ororo – a unique way of saying '_ara_'

Sake – rice wine, a traditional Japanese liquor


	6. Chapter 5 - Koguma Awakes

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who 'favorited', followed, and gave reviews to this story. Hope you stick around. Honto ni arigato~! (^_^)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

* * *

**Chapter 5 : Koguma Awakes**

"_Yumi! Yumi!"_

_Chiaki stopped for a few moments to catch her breath. She had been searching for her sister for quite a while now. It was almost time to go back. If they were not back on time, the 'bosses' would punish them again. And she had not earned anything for the past two hours since she immediately went to look for Yumi the moment she realized she was gone._

"_Yumi! Yumi, where are you?"_

_She had rounded the area twice already but still there was no trace of her sister. Her little feet were hurting from all the running around. She was starting to panic now. Every time they were out working, her sister would often stray from her but she never went too far and had never been gone this long. _

_What if something had happened to her? What if she never found her again? She bit her lip as she scanned the crowd. She can't lose Yumi too._

"_Yumi!" She yelled more desperately now. "Yu –"_

_Her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she finally found the familiar form of her sister from a distance. She was sitting beside a middle-aged merchant who seemed to be showing her something. Her heart flooded with relief. She immediately went there feeling both happy and angry._

"_Yumi! I was so worried about you!" She scolded her. Yumi only smiled excitedly at her and pulled on her hand to show her the things the man was selling._

"_So her name is Yumi. What a very pretty name. And you must be her sister," the middle aged merchant said. _

_She did not respond. She did not intend to be impolite towards the man but her disoriented emotions only managed to make her give him a somewhat annoyed look._

"_Oh, don't worry. She seemed to be very fascinated by my merchandise so I was only showing her how to make one," the man said kindly, referring to the jewelries he was selling._

"_Thank you very much. But we really need to go," she told him and turned to Yumi. "Let's go Yumi."_

_Yumi nodded. She turned to the merchant and gave him a quick hug._

"_Oh, you're welcome," the merchant said. "Come visit me again next time."_

_Yumi nodded and finally waved goodbye._

"_Yumi, don't ever do that again! I was so worried," she scolded when they were walking away. "And I didn't earn anything because I was looking all over for you. The bosses might punish us again tonight."_

_Yumi gave a surprised look followed by an apologetic one. She bowed her head in remorse as they continued looking. Chiaki gave a sigh. She can never stay angry for long at her little sister even if she wanted to._

"_Alright, I forgive you," she stopped walking and faced Yumi. "I know you didn't mean to make me worry. Just don't do it again, ok?" _

_Yumi nodded._

"_Do you promise?" She asked, holding her pinky finger out to her. Yumi nodded and entwined her pinkie finger with hers. "Good. Now let's go before the bosses scold us for being late."_

_She started walking and stopped when Yumi tugged at the hem of her sleeve._

"_What is it?" She asked her little sister._

_Yumi took her hand and tied something around it with great difficulty. Finally, she had succeeded and let her hand go to allow her to see it properly. It was a bracelet._

"_Is this for me?" Chiaki asked a little stunned. Yumi nodded and gave her a sweet smile. "But where did you get the money to buy this? Did you take it from the man a while ago? Let's go back and return it."_

_She was about to march back but Yumi stopped her. She made gestures that seemed to say she didn't steal it._

"_The man gave this to you?" She asked. Yumi nodded. She pointed to the bracelet then pointed to herself and made strange movements as though she was sewing._

"_You made this?" She asked and Yumi nodded. "For me?"_

_Yumi nodded again and gave her an even brighter smile. She looked lovingly at her little sister. She was touched that despite the horrible situation they're in, Yumi still managed to think about giving her something. The bracelet was not really what anyone would call nice. The beads didn't match at all and how they were tied was a complete mess. But even if it may look like rubbish to other people, to her it was the most wonderful gift she has ever received. She smiled at her sister and hugged her tightly._

"_It's beautiful. Is this really for me," she whispered. She felt Yumi nod and hug her back. "I promise to treasure this forever. Thank you Yumi."_

Aki's eyes fluttered open. She gave a weak moan. Her head was throbbing painfully like something was splitting it in two. Her eyes felt awfully heavy.

"Yumi," she murmured. Her eyes squinted in confusion when she saw the unfamiliar ceiling. She looked around, her head pounding with every move. She finally snapped out of her dream when she realized that she had no idea where she was. She slowly got up from lying but she almost fell right back when she felt a jolt of pain on her shoulder.

"Megumi! I brought you some tea." The door suddenly slid open. A young boy was standing there with a tray on his hands. His eyes widened the moment he saw her. He unconsciously dropped the tray, spilling the tea all over the floor.

"M-megumi!" The boy yelled in panic. A few moments later, a guy appeared beside the boy.

"What's the matter Yahiko? I heard you yelling and–" the guy stopped in mid-sentence when he saw her. Aki's eyes widened in recognition. It was the redhead.

"What are you two doing yelling in front of my patient's room?!" A voice rang somewhere outside.

"_Koguma_'s awake! Hurry!" The boy shouted. A beautiful woman appeared at the door. She shoved the two away as she hurried towards her.

"You shouldn't move around on your own," the woman scolded. She helped her into a sitting position. She turned to the boy.

"How long was she awake?" The woman asked the boy as though she wasn't there.

"I don't know. I just got here to bring you some tea and then I saw her. Where have you been anyway Megumi?" The boy asked still a little panicky. He and the redhead had also followed the woman inside the room.

"I went to the toilet," the woman said.

Aki felt her stomach tighten unpleasantly the moment she sat up. She made an incomprehensible sound as she quickly put her hands over her mouth.

"Wait! Hold it!" The woman said. She reached for a nearby basin and placed it in front of her. She vomited but all that came out were greenish water-like fluids and saliva. She vomited again and coughed as she tightly clenched her stomach. Finally the vomiting stopped and the woman wiped her mouth with a wet cloth.

"Help me move her closer to the wall," the woman said to the other two who were standing at a corner with an unreadable expression. They helped her to literally wriggle backwards until she reached the wall. She rested her head and back against it. She was thankful for the feel of something solid behind her. Her vision was slightly spinning and her body felt very hot.

"Where am I?" She asked weakly.

"You're at the Kamiya dojo. Ken-san carried you all the way here some nights ago," the woman told her as she tucked a blanket on her lap. She frowned at her in confusion.

"You fell unconscious while fighting Asamoto's guards. I brought you here to be treated. You were very badly hurt, that you were," the redhead told her.

"You don't remember?" The woman asked her.

"Sorry, my head hurts so everything is kinda hazy," she said.

"That's normal. You've been unconscious for a long time," the woman told her as she took out some things she didn't recognize.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked.

"You've been unconscious for four days," the woman told her.

"Four days?!"

"Yes. Though there were times that you passed in and out of consciousness but you were never really fully awake. You were poisoned. And it's not just any poison but a dangerous one. Good thing Ken-san got you here on time. I gave you some medicine to counter the poison, but it wasn't working as fast as it should. Since you were unconscious, your body had nothing but medicine and water for the past four days. We were worried you might not make it. Even if you were saved from the poison, lack of nutrition would have killed you eventually," the woman informed her.

"_Oro_. Speaking of nutrition, I'll go quickly prepare some food, that I will" the redhead said.

"Please put these on her food. It will help her feel better," the woman said and handed the redhead some herbs.

"Okay, Megumi-dono," the redhead said as he took the herbs. He then turned to her and smiled, "Please wait for a while. It will only take a few minutes."

She was not able to give him an answer since her was still digesting everything they said. The redhead left the room, picking up the dropped tray and teacup along the way.

"Yahiko, please empty this and clean it while I redress her shoulder," the woman said as she handed the boy the basin she vomited on a while ago. The boy looked at it in disgust but took it anyway.

"_Gomen_," Aki managed to laugh apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," the boy said uncomfortably and went out to do his task.

The doctor pulled down the robe which she hadn't noticed she had been wearing. They must have changed her clothes while she was unconscious. She looked around the room but she couldn't find her clothes anywhere.

"Good thing the wound did not seem to reopen or I would have to stitch you again," the woman said after examining her shoulder. "'I've managed to cure the poisoning, but your wound was severely infected which is causing your fever. If you ever need to do some moving around, ask for someone to assist you. The wound is still very far from healing."

"Have you been taking care of me for the past four days?" She asked.

"Yes I have," the woman told her.

"Sorry for the trouble. And thanks," she murmured.

"You don't have to thank me. It's a doctor's job to save people's lives," the woman told her. And it's not just me who took care of you. There are also Ken-san and Yahiko whom you met a while ago and a couple of other people whom you might meet later when they arrive. I'm Takani Megumi. What's your name?"

"Aki. Horiyama Aki," she said, giving her the name she had been using for the last couple of years.

"Pleased to meet you Horiyama-san," Megumi said.

"Just call me Aki," she told her.

"Alright then, Aki. You need to get some rest perhaps a little after you have eaten. I know you probably hate the thought of going to sleep when you've just woken up after a long one. But your body is still very weak and your fever is beyond high. You need all the rest you can get to recover quickly. Besides, your body won't endure it even if you try to stay up."

She did hate the thought of going back to sleep but she nodded anyway. This was no time to argue with a doctor. She watched Megumi treat her wound. She was right. Her wound seemed to be in a bad condition. It was swollen and the skin around it had turned purplish red with greenish shades at the opening. It stung when Megumi put some medicine on it. The doctor redressed her shoulder and arranged back her robe properly. She also noticed that the scrapes on her elbow and knee were healing. She guessed that the doctor also tended to those too.

"By the way, your friend had also been helping us out in taking care of you," Megumi told her.

"My friend?" She asked confused.

"Yes. Ryuu-san. He's been coming here every day to check on you. Or is he your boyfriend?" Megumi teased her.

She only looked at her in confusion. The name did sound familiar. She knew she already heard it somewhere but she couldn't remember exactly who Megumi was referring to.

"What's wrong? Could it be that you don't know this Ryuu-san?" Megumi asked her when she saw the look on her face.

"I'm sure I heard that name before. He's probably someone I just met. Sorry, my head's just in a jumble right now. You see, I'm not from here and I just arrived recently," she answered, deciding to not say anything that would add unnecessary suspicions to her current situation.

"I understand. He came here and said he was your friend. Well, he did say that you only met a few days ago. He told us that you don't have any other friends or relatives here in Tokyo."

_Who's this Ryuu? How did he know those things about me? Could it be that my uncle had already discovered about me and decided to send this Ryuu to investigate on me?_

"He also mentioned that though you've already met a couple of times, you still haven't given him your name. Though he was sure you know him. Maybe you'll recognize him when you see him. I'm sure he'll drop by again today. He usually comes a little after lunchtime. He must be quite a person to consider someone he just met a friend and even go as far as to help with your recovery," Megumi told her.

"Ah, yes. Maybe I'm also just a little confused that's why I can't remember him," she lied though she really was sure she didn't have any friend in Tokyo named Ryuu, or any friend at all for that matter. The small number of friends she has are all in Kyoto.

The guy called Ken arrived later with a tray of food and water. Megumi excused herself saying she'll go find some rags to clean the spilled tea on the floor or a girl called Kaoru might nag at them for the mess.

Ken placed the tray beside her futon. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she finally saw the food. It also smelled heavenly that it made her stomach scream all the more in hunger. He took the bowl of _okayu_ and she held her hands out to take it from him.

"Thanks," she murmured as she took the bowl. The moment she held it, her hands shook weakly. She was able to place the bowl quickly on her lap before she could drop it.

"Do you need help?" Ken asked her, a little concerned. He seemed to have noticed her dilemma.

"No, I'm fine," she answered. "So, you were the one who brought me here."

"Yes I was," the redhead answered.

"And your name is Ken, right?"

"My name is Himura Kenshin," he smiled. "And yours?"

"Horiyama Aki," she replied.

"Pleased to meet you Horiyama-dono," Kenshin said.

"Just call me Aki," she said.

"Alright, Aki-dono," Kenshin smiled.

"I said just Aki. What's with the _dono_?" She managed to scowl despite her condition.

"I use _dono_ in addressing almost everyone I meet. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable," Kenshin said scratching his head.

"Oh well. If that's the case then whatever. Do what you want," she said.

She took the _renge _and scooped a spoonful of the _okayu_. She slowly raised the _renge_ towards her mouth with a shaking hand. Before it could even reach her mouth, the _renge_ dropped from her hand, spilling _okayu_ all over her blanket.

"_Gomen_," she quickly apologized for her mess.

"Don't worry about it. We'll just get you a new blanket," Kenshin said kindly. "I'll go get another _renge_, that I will."

The redhead left the room again. She stared at her shaking hands. She had not anticipated her body to feel this weak.

_Well, my body did have nothing but medicine and water for a long time. What was I expecting? _She sighed.

Kenshin returned with a new _renge _followed shortly by Megumi.

"Let me help you Aki-dono," Kenshin offered good-naturedly as he took the bowl from her lap.

"NO!" She answered almost immediately. "I can eat on my own."

Kenshin looked a little surprised at her reaction. "Are you sure? But your strength seem –"

"I said I can do it!" She snapped, her face heating up for some reason.

"Ken-san, why don't you clean this up? I'll be the one to assist Aki if she needs any help. There are things I need to talk with her regarding her condition," Megumi stated as she handed Kenshin the rag.

"Alright then, Megumi-dono," Kenshin agreed though he looked a little confused. He turned to her and gave his usual smile. "Just tell me if you want seconds. There's still more in the kitchen, that there is."

"_Hai_. Thanks," she answered feeling a little awkward.

"_Shitsurei shimasu_," Kenshin excused himself and proceeded to clean the floor near the door. Megumi took the bowl and stirred the _okayu_ with the _renge_.

"Megumi-san, I can eat on my own," she told the doctor.

"Don't worry about it. I understand how you feel," Megumi whispered and winked. "Some girls would really feel the same way if a guy they just met suddenly offered to feed them, regardless of the situation. But if it were me, I wouldn't decline on the offer. Hohoho."

She wasn't sure how to react on what she said. Meanwhile, Kenshin had already finished cleaning and went out.

"Sometimes, Ken-san can be very dense about those things," Megumi explained.

"Thanks," she sighed. "Sorry for the trouble. You've done enough for me already."

"I told you, don't worry about it," Megumi said. And so Megumi fed her. It was surprisingly delicious for an _okayu_. She didn't expect that Kenshin to be a good cook.

_Or maybe I'm just too hungry that everything tastes delicious to me_, she thought.

Though she had totally thought that she could eat a whole pot of _okayu_, she was suddenly out of appetite after a few spoonfuls. It was quite irritating since she did feel very hungry but at the same time, she didn't feel like eating anything no matter how good the _okayu_ was. She just felt like throwing up.

Yahiko entered the room later to bring back the basin. She talked to him for a while and learned that his full name was Myojin Yahiko and that he was a stay-in student at the dojo.

"So you're name's Aki. I think I like _koguma_ better," the boy laughed.

"_Koguma_? Is that what you have been calling me?"

"Yep. Since we didn't know your name and we got tired of calling you _**she**_."

"Out of all the names, why for _Kami_'s sake did you choose _koguma_?"

"That's not my doing! You can blame Ryuu for it," Yahiko laughed. "He did a great job. I think it suits you well."

She shifted uncomfortably when she heard the name again. Her mind was racing with thoughts on what to do if that Ryuu indeed turned out to be one of her uncle's men. She decided that she would just go along with everything until she discovers who that Ryuu is.

Yahiko also asked a couple of questions about her until Megumi finally told them that she needed to rest. She liked the boy. He seemed very straightforward and was very easy to talk to.

Yahiko and Megumi finally tucked her back to sleep. Kenshin had taken the dirty blanket and gave her a new one. She slept through the whole morning and woke up around mid-afternoon. She was still feeling dizzy and her body still felt severely hot. The door of her room was left open. Megumi was not there but someone else was.

"_Koguma_! Finally," the man dashed towards her side and helped her sit up. She stared at him in shock.

"You!" She had intended it as a yell but it came out as a weak grunt. It was _the thief_.

"What?" The he asked her.

"What are you doing here?"

"To see you of course. I've been waitin' here when they told me that you finally woke up this mornin'."

"What? How…"

"Hey, can't you at least give me a warmer welcome? I've been comin' here every day ever since I learned about what happened," the thief said.

"Coming here every...You! You're that Ryuu?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Man, so you really forgot my name," he frowned.

She placed a hand on her forehead as the pain in her head started to throb again.

"Hey, you ok? I'll go call the doctor," Ryuu panicked as he turned to go.

"Don't!" She said. "Get back here."

"You sure? You don't look so good –"

"What do you think you're doing?" She hissed, cutting him off. Ryuu only looked at her quizzically. "What's with all this friend act you've been putting."

"Well, it was the only way for the police to tell me where you are. I couldn't change my statements so that's what I told the people here too. Besides, it wasn't exactly an act. We've kinda been friends and I really was worried."

"You were worried about me or you were worried that I would tell on you the moment I wake up?"

He paused for a moment before he finally answered.

"Look. I really can't blame you if that's how you see me," he gave a sigh not knowing how to explain things to her. "The police will come after a few days to ask you about the whole thing. Tell them the truth. I'll admit to my crime. I promise to keep my promise. But I was just worried about you and that's why I've been comin' here, nothin' more. I'm glad that you're better now," he said.

"And why would you be worried about me," she asked sardonically.

"Well, practically speaking this is my fault. I was too confident that things will turn out fine. I assumed those guards wouldn't recognize you. I'm really sorry," he said.

She didn't know how to react to what he said. She wanted to tell him to drop the apologetic act but he had looked so genuine.

"You're right. This is your entire fault. But it's also mine since I went out even though I knew it was dangerous," she finally told him.

"Hey, are you comforting me?"

"I'm not!" she snapped. "I was just pointing out the truth. Your face looks disgusting with all that guilty expression. Now get that face away from me before I start puking all over it."

"Hahaha! So you're still a _koguma_ even in that condition," he laughed.

"And stop calling me that!"

"Why? It suits you well."

"Which part of me looks like a little bear?"

"Everything," he answered matter-of-factly, "especially when you give that kind of face."

She tried to hit him but she didn't have enough strength to do so.

"Now sick little bears should just behave and rest. I'll go call the doctor," he said and left her cursing at him. He stopped by the door and turned back to face her. "And again, my name is Inoue Ryuu."

He seemed like he was waiting for her to give him her name but she just scowled at him.

"Well, pleased to meet you Horiyama Aki," he said and left. She guessed they must have already told him her name. He returned a while later with the doctor. Yahiko was also there along with two others she didn't know. The doctor immediately checked on her temperature.

"Not good. Your fever still hasn't gone down," Megumi said.

Kenshin came in later with a tray of food and water.

"You should eat something first before I give you some medicine," Megumi told her.

"I'll feed her," a blue-eyed girl offered as she took the bowl of food and sat beside her. She remembered seeing her at Akabeko before with Kenshin.

"Aki right?" The girl asked her. She nodded. "It's good to finally see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"Sluggish," she answered.

"Don't worry. Megumi is one of the best doctors in town. You'll be all better in no time. By the way I'm Kamiya Kaoru," the girl introduced herself.

"That's an overstatement Kaoru," Megumi said but she was grinning, pleased by the compliment.

"It's true," Yahiko chimed in.

"And also one of the prettiest I've seen," Ryuu added.

"Why thank you. A woman should always take care of her looks no matter how busy she is," the doctor chuckled alluringly.

"Kaoru should learn from you," Yahiko commented.

"What was that?!" Kaoru screeched at him.

"It's true. It might help me get better at swordsmanship if I had a beautiful sensei instead of an ugly raccoon who bullies me around," Yahiko said.

"You should be a little more grateful to Kaoru, Yahiko. Just imagine if you did have a beautiful sensei. You wouldn't learn much during training since it would be pretty difficult to hurt her. You'll end up as a lousy swordsman," Ryuu disagreed.

"Oh, you're right. Thanks Kaoru," Yahiko said.

"_Urusai!_ You jerks! And why are you all here anyway? Go away and give Aki some fresh air!" Kaoru yelled at them.

"We wanted to see her too. Don't be angry at us for telling you the truth," Yahiko sneered.

"Hey, hey, don't misunderstand Kaoru, I never said anythin' about you being ugly," Ryuu cowered.

Aki couldn't help but give a weak laugh. They were arguing like kids. And she was surprised that Ryuu seems to be quite close to these people already in just a short time.

Everyone was now laughing at Yahiko and Kaouru's bantering. Well not really everyone. A tall man with spiky brown hair was just standing quietly in the corner. He had been silently glaring at her since he got there with the others. Aki's eyes met his. She couldn't read his expression.

Kenshin must have noticed her looking over at him since he decided to introduce him.

"Oh, Aki-dono, this is Sanosuke. We call him Sano, that we do," Kenshin told her.

"Hey," Sanosuke grunted a greeting.

"Hey," she responded.

"_Oi_ Sano! You've been unusually quiet," Yahiko called out.

"Yeah. Are you sick?" Kaoru also agreed.

"Can't I be quiet even when I'm not sick?" Sanosuke shrugged.

"You're never quiet even when you're sick," Megumi joined in and everyone agreed, laughing.

"Whatever. Kenshin do you still have _okayu_ in the kitchen? I'm hungry," Sanosuke said as he turned to leave the room.

"Hey! That isn't for you!" Kaoru yelled.

"You'd even take food from the sick?!" Yahiko gave him a disgusted look.

"Hey, I'm just saying if there's more. If she needs it then of course I won't eat it!" Sanosuke defended himself.

"You can have it. I don't have much of an appetite anyway. I won't be eating much," Aki told him.

"You heard her. She doesn't want it. It's such a waste if no one's gonna eat it so I'll take it," Sanosuke said.

"Man, you're hopeless," Yahiko told him.

Sanosuke went out and most probably had gone to the kitchen. Kenshin and Yahiko followed a while later saying they needed to buy some tofu and vegetables. Kaoru continued to feed her. She asked her a couple of questions about herself but it was nothing really personal. And she didn't ask her anything regarding the Asamoto incident. The others hadn't also asked her anything about it yet. She was sure that they were avoiding it for some reason and she was glad for it. She didn't want to deal with things that would only strain her all the more at the moment. They must have thought the same way. Megumi gave her a few doses of different kinds of medicine after she finished her food. She was feeling tired again and she guessed part of it must be an effect from some of those medicine. They finally decided that it was time for her to get some rest. Ryuu told her he'd visit again the next day. They helped her lie down and finally left her alone.

_Today wasn't that bad_, she thought. Though she was far from feeling physically well, she was thankful to find so many people who were concerned with her in a place where she definitely had no friends. Of course there was still the whole Asamoto thing to worry about. They might just be being considerate about her condition for now, but she knew that deep down they were suspicious of her just like that spiky haired guy a while ago. And she couldn't really blame them. She'd have to clear things up soon. She gave a weak sigh and finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Reference:**

Ara – could mean any of these depending on how it's used: oh my! / oh my god! / oh! / huh? / oh?

Kami/Kamisama – God

Koguma – little/baby bear

Oi – Hey

Okayu – traditional porridge-like meal, often served to sick people and babies

Oro/Ororo – a unique way of saying '_ara_'

Renge – traditional Chinese wooden spoon, sometimes referred to as _chirirenge_ in Japan


	7. Chapter 6 - The Confrontation

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

* * *

**Chapter 6 : The Confrontation**

"So here you all are, slacking off while I run around the house attending to the sick and doing house chores. Get yourselves moving!" Kaoru yelled from the kitchen entrance.

"Here goes the grumpy raccoon again," Yahiko grumbled under his breath.

"You! Go clean the dojo!" She ordered Yahiko.

"Fine! We were just talking for a while," he grumbled.

"And you! It's still a little too early for lunchtime!" She told Sanosuke.

"Don't worry missy. I won't be eating lunch here," he informed her.

"Oh really? That's quite a surprise," Kaoru said sardonically.

"Tae-san asked me to run an errand for her in exchange for a free lunch."

"Tae-san doesn't have to give you anything. I heard you still haven't paid your debts and it just keeps piling up. Poor Tae-san. I keep telling her not to be too kind to you," Kaoru said.

"I promise to pay my debts when I finally have money," Sanosuke said defensively.

"When will that ever happen? You should be thankful that Tae-san is kind enough to still not get you arrested for not paying up every time you eat there," Yahiko told him.

"I told you, I'll settle my debts in time," he said annoyed, not because his friends were nagging at him but because everything they said were true. "And I keep telling you, kids shouldn't butt in on older people's conversation Yahiko."

"I'm _**NOT**_ a kid!" Yahiko yelled.

"What were you all doing here anyway?" Kaoru inquired.

"We were just talking about that visitor of yours," Sanosuke said.

"Her name's Aki, Sanosuke. And what do you mean by _**my**_ visitor? Kenshin brought her here. And I thought we all agreed to let her stay."

"Well, it's your place," Sanosuke answered matter-of-factly.

"So what about her?"

"We were just wondering about the whole thief thing," Sanosuke told her.

"Well," Kaoru muttered thoughtfully as she joined the group, "to be honest, I'm also itching to ask her about it. But Megumi's right, we should wait until she gets better. We can't cause anything that might further strain her already weak state."

"I don't see how asking about the truth could strain her. Unless of course it's true," Sanosuke grumbled.

"Think _baka_! Let's say that we interrogate her now and everybody learns that she really is the thief, the police might arrest her even in her current state. You can't put a sick person in jail! That rotten place will only make her condition worse!" Kaoru told him.

"Kaoru-dono is right Sano. And just thinking about the whole thing will stress her mentally, that it will," Kenshin agreed.

"You know, I really don't think she's a thief. She seems harmless," Yahiko stated.

"Anyone would seem harmless when they're bedridden, _baka_!" Sanosuke opposed.

"Hey! I'm just saying I don't feel suspicious around her!" Yahiko retorted angrily.

"And Ayame and Suzume seem to like her a lot, that they do" Kenshin added.

"That's true," Kaoru agreed. The girls had been staying a lot in Aki's room. At first, they were just curious to see Aki when they heard that she was awake. Surprisingly, Aki looked delighted when she saw the two girls. It seems that she is quite fond of children despite her rough disposition. Since then, Ayame and Suzume had always been around Aki's room whenever she's not sleeping. Even Megumi has been a little worried that she was not getting enough rest whenever the children were around.

"Shouldn't we not let the children get too close to her until we find out the truth?" Sanosuke asked.

"Try telling them that. Those three had become quite inseparable," Kaoru told him. "Don't worry about it too much like some paranoid _oji-san_."

"I'm not! I just don't trust her, especially that friend of hers. I don't know but they smell like trouble."

"Don't you usually love looking for trouble?" Yahiko jeered.

"I could say the same about you," Sanosuke shot back.

"Don't compare to yourself! I'm the son of a noble samurai. I'm not, and will _**never**_ be, anything like you!"

"Of course a spoiled brat would _**never**_ be as great as me!"

"You call yourself great?! Who are you kidding, rooster-head!"

"Shut up, weasel!"

"Be quiet!" Kaoru reprimanded.

"He started it!" Yahiko scowled.

"What do you mean I started it? You started it, you brat!" Sanosuke spat back.

"Enough!" Kaoru yelled and landed her knuckles on their heads. "You're so noisy. You're giving me a headache. And Sano, try to be a little friendly. Don't pretend I haven't noticed. Now, I know you're suspicious of her. We all are. But It's not gonna help her feel better if you keep giving her the cold treatment. We don't even know the truth yet."

"I have no obligation to be all friendly with people I don't trust," Sanosuke simply answered. "And weren't you the one who felt the most uneasy about all this in the beginning?"

"That was before. But seeing her this way…I can't imagine what could have happened if we hadn't take her in. I can't let my personal feelings get in the way of helping others, can I?"

"In any case, if they really are trouble I'm sure Kenshin can handle it. Right, Kenshin?" Yahiko stated confidently.

"What are you talking about, _baka_! Kenshin can't save people all the time," Kaoru told him.

"Kaoru-dono is right, Yahiko. I can't promise that I can always guarantee your safety. But rest assured, I will do my best to protect all of you and everyone else who needs my help, that I will," Kenshin said.

Everyone can't help but smile at what their friend said. It was just like him. If not for his godlike skills in swordsmanship and the prominent x-shaped scar on his face, it would be difficult to believe that he was once the legendary manslayer, Battousai. The man they met was not a manslayer but a person who would willingly help _**anyone**_, even if he had to risk his own life in doing so. That is the Kenshin they know. That is _**their**_ Kenshin.

"_Ma_, it's almost time to prepare for lunch. I'll go do the laundry first, that I will," Kenshin stated.

"I gotta go too," Sanosuke said and stood up. "Kenshin, prepare extra food later. I'll be here for dinner."

"That's not for you to decide!" Kaoru fumed but he just ignored her. He started walking away but he stopped right before he went out of the door.

"So what are you guys planning if she really is the thief?"

Kaoru seemed to think about it for a while before finally answering, "I guess we have to turn her over to the police, right?"

Sanosuke grunted in reply and headed out.

"Kenshin, just concentrate on the laundry. I'll be the one preparing lunch for today," Koru told Kenshin.

"What?! No!" Yahiko groaned.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want it," she told him.

"Kenshin," Yahiko looked pleadingly at their only decent cook, aside from Megumi who occasionally brings them food.

"It's really not that bad Yahiko," Kenshin told him uneasily as Kaoru was dangerously glaring at him. "I think Aki-dono would also like a change of taste, that she will."

"Are you serious? Kaoru's cooking will kill her!"

Kaoru landed another knuckle on Yahiko's head and stormed out.

"Man! That girl is hopeless. What did you ever like about her Kenshin?" Yahiko said, scratching the tender part of his head.

"_Oro_?" Kenshin muttered, a little shocked at Yahiko's sudden question.

"Whatever. You're just as hopeless," Yahiko said and left for the dojo.

Meanwhile, Aki was busy teaching the two girls how to make origami flowers. She had first shown them how to make paper cranes but after a few tries, she realized that it was too complicated for children their age.

"Now, all you have to do is to pull these parts out to make the petals and there. You now have a flower," she instructed the children as she showed them her origami.

"Yay! We made a flower!" Ayame said delightedly at her own work.

"Mmm…mmm…," Suzume muttered as she struggled with her own origami. When she pulled the last petal, the paper got torn. "My flower…," she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"It's okay Suzume. Let's just do it again 'kay?" she told the little girl.

"Let's do it again!" Ayame cheered.

"Do it again!" Suzume echoed, now smiling brightly.

They repeated the steps a few more times before Suzume finally managed to finish her own paper flower, though it didn't really look like one. The girls declared that they were going to make flowers for everyone so she ended up spending the whole morning making origami with them. Megumi arrived a little before lunch to check on her and redress her shoulder. The doctor was delighted when the girls handed her some paper flowers, but it still didn't save Aki from being scolded for not getting enough rest.

"You should definitely sleep this afternoon," the doctor told her. She just gave her dry laugh that clearly meant she'll try. "Don't give me that! Sick people like you shouldn't be going around making origami."

"I wasn't going around. I was sitting the whole time. And I wasn't really sleepy. Besides, getting stuck in bed makes me feel weaker," she reasoned.

"Now you listen to me little girl. Your body was in a lot of stress from the poison and lack of nutrition. I'm doing my best to help you get better but you won't get better unless you help me too. So do as I say and get enough rest, unless you want to be bedridden for a longer time," Megumi scolded.

"_Hai_," she surrendered. She didn't really want to be in a long argument with an iron-willed doctor.

"And girls, help Aki get some rest. You can do more of that when she gets better," Megumi turned to the two girls.

"_Hai_. Get some rest Aki-_nee_!" Ayame told her.

"Yeah! Get some rest!" Suzume repeated.

"Well, not until she gets some lunch," Megumi said.

Doctor Gensai arrived later to pick the girls up. Everyone invited them to stay over for lunch but the doctor said, much to Aki's disappointment, that he has a lunch appointment with an old friend and that the girls needed to come too. The doctor left shortly after the girls gave their flowers to everyone. Kaoru came later with her lunch. The others were kind enough to decide to eat with her in her room.

"I figured it might be lonely for you to always eat on your own," Kaoru had told her. She already has strength enough to eat on her own and so she has been eating alone in her room. Kaoru had wanted her to join them on mealtimes, but she gets dizzy a lot and can't leave her room for a long time. Since she can't join them, Kaoru came up with the idea that they'll join her instead. It seems that the girl had one hell of a determination. She didn't really mind eating alone. In fact, she's quite used to it. But she still felt grateful for their thoughtfulness.

She had _okayu_ again. She had nothing but _okayu_ ever since she gained consciousness. Though Kenshin was thoughtful enough to change the flavor every once in a while, it still doesn't change the fact that it was still _okayu_. Truth be told, she was getting tired of it, but she also knows she can't stand to eat anything else with her still poor appetite. Besides, she was in no position to complain about food which were so kindly given to her for free. She stirred the _okayu_ and was about to take a spoonful when she realized that everybody was watching her.

"What?" She asked.

"Oh no, it's nothing. Don't mind us. Just go on and eat," Kaoru said, looking a little nervous.

Everyone pretended to mind their own business but she was aware that they were watching her again when she continued with what she was doing. She decided to just ignore them and finally took a spoonful of her _okayu_. The moment the _okayu _reached her mouth, her face twisted in disgust. She quickly took a few gulps of water.

"_Oi_ Kenshin! What the hell is this?!" She asked the redhead. Yahiko broke off into a fit of laughter. He was laughing so hard that he was actually rolling on the floor. Megumi was also laughing softly, hiding her face behind her fan.

"Oh man! Her face was epic! I wish Sanosuke could've seen it," Yahiko garbled and continued laughing again.

"Kenshin, are you trying to pick a fight or what?!" She yelled.

"_Ano_, actually Aki-dono, Kaoru-dono made that for you, that she did," Kenshin told her uneasily.

She turned to Kaoru whose expression was now unreadable.

"Kaoru, did you really make this?"

"Yes," Kaoru answered, her expression still unreadable.

"You suck," she told her straightly. Yahiko laughed harder and so did Megumi. Kenshin looked like he was trying his best to hold his own laughter.

"She does, doesn't she? Her cooking is deadly!" Yahiko said in the middle of laughing.

"I'll have Kenshin make you another one. I'm sorry for offering to make you food," Kaoru said now both embarrassed and annoyed as she tried to take the bowl from her.

"No, don't bother. But seriously, have you tried tasting this yourself?"

"Yes. Well, not after I added some garlic," Kaoru answered uneasily.

"Garlic?" Megumi muttered.

"I thought it would make it taste better. It always makes other dishes taste better," Kaoru said defensively.

"How many cloves did you use?" Megumi asked.

"A-a few," she stuttered.

"Why don't you try it yourself?" Aki offered, offering the _okayu_ to her. Kaoru hesitantly took it and tried a small amount. Her face distorted unpleasantly and he put the bowl down in dismay.

"You're right. It sucks. It tastes like garlic," she muttered, looking depressed. "I really should let Kenshin prepare you another one. Sorry about this."

"No, it's fine. Well at least it still tastes like something edible. My appetite is still not back to normal anyway so I won't be eating much," she told her.

"I know it's horrible. I won't even eat it myself. Now just give me that. You don't have to be modest about it," Kaoru said.

"I'm not being modest. I wanted a change anyway so this is fine, though I definitely wouldn't eat something like this again. Besides, it'll be a waste of food to throw this away" she said and continued eating Kaoru's garlic flavored _okayu_. If it was any other day, she definitely wouldn't eat it. But with her current appetite, good and bad-tasting food didn't make much of a difference since she always ends up eating only a few spoonfuls.

"I really am hopeless. I give up," Kaoru sighed.

"I don't think you're that bad. Well at least not as bad as me," she told her.

"You're also bad at cooking?" Yahiko asked.

"Unfortunately, yeah. Probably worse than Kaoru."

"That bad?" Megumi chimed in.

"Well, let's just say that if I had been the one cooking this, then it probably wouldn't even look like _okayu_," she laughed.

"Oh, so that bad," Yahiko absorbed.

"Maybe all you need is practice Aki-dono. Even Kaoru-dono has improved a little, that she has," Kenshin told her.

"Really Kenshin?" Kaoru eyes sparkled. "Hey wait a minute, what do you mean by _**even I**_ have improved? What am I, a benchmark for cooking failures or something?"

"_Oro_. That is not what I meant Kaoru-dono, that it isn't," Kenshin smiled nervously.

"You just wait and see. Time will come that all of you will be begging to taste my cooking," Kaoru said in all determination.

"You wish!" Yahiko murmured.

"And I definitely won't be giving anything to you!" Kaoru told him.

"Uh, Kenshin," Sanosuke called out as he appeared at the doorway.

"I thought you won't be eating here for lunch Sanosuke," Kaoru inquired.

"I'm not," Sanosuke said uneasily. A tall policeman appeared beside him.

"Saito-san," Kenshin exclaimed.

The man called Saito only looked at Kenshin momentarily and his eyes laid fixed on her.

"I thought I told you to inform me immediately when the girl wakes up Himura," Saito said coldly as he turned back to Kenshin.

"About that –," Kenshin said but Megumi cut him off.

"Her body is still very weak and she needs a lot of rest. I told them to avoid doing anything that would stress her out while she's still not well, and that includes police interrogations," Megumi explained and glared at Sanosuke.

"Hey, I did tell him that today wasn't a good time but I couldn't stop him," Sanosuke reasoned.

"She's also been sleeping most of the time Saito-san. We wanted to wait until she's a little better, that we did," Kenshin explained.

"All I care about is that she's awake. This matter has been put off for too long. I need her statements," Saito said uncaringly.

"As her doctor I will not allow you to do anything that will cause harm to my patient! I will inform you once she's ready. You can come back by then," Megumi sharply answered, her protective doctor instincts taking over her.

"It's okay Megumi," Aki said, putting her bowl of _okayu_ down. Everyone stared at her.

"But Aki –," Kaoru said worriedly.

"I'll need to get this over with sooner or later anyway. And I'm sure all of you are dying to know the truth though you pretend to hide it."

Everyone looked awkward and nobody responded. Aki knew that it was because what she said was true. She put her bowl of _okayu_ down and turned to Saito.

"Why isn't anybody listening to me," Megumi exasperated as she slumped back on her seat.

"This is about the Asamoto theft, right?" She asked the policeman pointedly.

"So, you're well aware that you're being suspected," Saito told her as he leaned at the corner of the room. His face remained cold and stoic that it was difficult for Aki to read him.

"After all these trouble, of course I am. But you've got the wrong person," she said.

"The guards said that they saw you around the mansion during the night of the theft, and that you've been running away from them since then," Saito said.

"It's true. I was there, but I wasn't there to steal. I was just…," she quickly rummaged through her mind for possible excuses and decided to tell him the first thing that she could think of, "…around the area when those guards suddenly started chasing me and calling me a thief. They had swords with them so of course it's only natural for me to run away. And admit it, those guards don't really look like they'll listen to explanations so I had no choice."

"You expect me to believe that? What would a girl be doing _**around the area**_ in the middle of the night?"

"I didn't know that's illegal," she answered sarcastically.

"You better explain yourself properly girl. I could drag you straight to jail right this very moment," Saito said coldly.

"Fine! I just came here from Kyoto so I'm not familiar with this place. I was lost and somehow made my way down those streets. There definitely was nobody there to ask for directions so I just decided to continue walking. That's when those bastards started chasing me," she stated, hoping that she had sounded convincing enough.

"Why didn't you go to the police then to explain yourself Aki-dono?" Kenshin asked.

"I don't have any evidence to prove my innocence. I was worried that they wouldn't listen, and it seems that I was right," she smirked.

"You're right about one thing. You _**don't**_ have any evidence to prove your innocence," it was Saito's turn to smirk at her.

"If you really were there during the night of the theft, then maybe there's a chance that you saw the real thief. Did you happen to see anyone else?" Kaoru asked.

She felt a little nervous. She wasn't really sure how to answer the question. She had been trying to leave it out of her explanations. What Ryuu said flashed through her mind.

"…_The police will come after a few days to ask you about the whole thing. Tell them the truth. I'll admit to my crime. I promise to keep my promise. But I was just worried about you and that's why I've been comin' here, nothin' more. I'm glad that you're better now__."_

"There was someone," she said as she nervously clutched the hem of her blanket. "I saw him climb up the fence and jump out just before the guards came and started chasing me."

"Did you see his face?" Kaoru asked looking a little hopeful.

She fumbled with the blanket for a while before she finally answered. "N-no I didn't. It was too dark and everything happened so fast that I didn't really get a good look at him."

_Kuso! What am I doing?!_ She thought.

"Tell me everything you remember about this _**supposedly**_ real thief," Saito demanded.

"It was a man. He was tall," she said.

"And?" Saito probed, raising one of his eyebrows.

"That's it," she answered.

"That's it?" Saito asked.

"I told you it was dark. That's all I saw," she said.

"Well, that poor description won't help us catch the real culprit, if you're indeed telling the truth," Saito told her.

"Hey! I remember," Yahiko exclaimed. "Kenshin, didn't we see a guy running away just before we bumped into her that night? I didn't see his face though. But he was tall just as Aki had said."

"Yes, I remember," Kenshin confirmed.

"Did you see his face Himura?" Saito asked.

"Well, I also didn't. I did not get a good look at him since he ran so fast, that he did," Kenshin said apologetically.

"I see. All these _rurouni_ acts has made you rusty," Saito told him.

"Kenshin isn't rusty! He's still the best swordsman there is," Yahiko retorted angrily.

_So he really is a swordsman_, Aki thought, though she didn't really believe the 'best' part.

"So we can conclude that Aki is telling the truth," Kaoru said, ignoring Yahiko's grumblings.

"Not so fast missy. How do we know if she's not an accomplice?" Sanosuke said.

_Right. Of course there's that issue_, Aki thought, now getting tired of all of it. She didn't know what else she can say to make them believe she's innocent.

"She's not!" Came a voice from outside her room. It was Ryuu. She had not noticed him. She didn't know how long he had been there.

"And what do you know about this?" Saito asked, though his expression showed that he had also been suspecting Ryuu even before this.

"I know because I –"

"B-because he's my first friend here!" She quickly interrupted. "He can confirm what I said about me being a new here. He met me when I've just arrived in Tokyo and he has helped me a lot with directions. I can't even find my way back to my inn, let alone the Asamoto mansion. I was just there by accident. Besides, I heard that the thefts began months ago so it's impossible that I'm the thief you're looking for."

Ryuu looked at her in surprise. She gave him a stern look and hoped that he got the message. Ryuu seemed to have recovered quickly and gave his usual confident smile. "That's right. And if in case you also don't believe me, you can ask some of my friends who had also met her."

It was her time to get surprised. She gave him a 'what-are-you-talking-about' look but Ryuu just ignored her and smiled confidently at their interrogator.

"So you're saying that you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Saito eyed her with scrutiny.

"I _**was**_ at the wrong place at the wrong time!" She answered as firmly as she could. Besides, the statement still proved true to what had really happened.

Saito just continued to stare at her. It was hard to guess what he was thinking but Aki guessed that the guy must be considering whether he should arrest her or not. Everyone was looking at him intently. After a while, he removed himself from the corner and started walking towards the door. "I'm going."

"Hey! Does it mean she's free?" Yahiko asked. Saito stopped right in front of the door.

"Temporarily. The guards also have no evidence against her. For now, it's just her word against theirs. But don't think you're cleared from this," Saito turned to her. "You are not entirely acquitted until we find the real culprit. Until then, try not to do anything stupid."

His last sentence sounded like a warning. She was sure it was his indirect way of saying 'try not to get caught stealing'. She glowered at him but he only ignored her.

"What about those guards? What will you do with them?" Kaoru inquired.

"They'll remain in prison for their actions against her. We also need to investigate about the poison and Asamoto's involvement in it," Saito told them and left without saying another word.

"Isn't that great Aki?" Kaoru finally said.

"Yeah, I guess," she answered.

"I told you Sano!" Yahiko said. Sanosuke just grunted.

"Sorry we doubted you Aki," Kaoru said, looking a little guilty.

"Hey, I understand. I can't blame you for it," she answered.

"So you're from Kyoto. I was sure you didn't look like you're from around here," Yahiko spoke.

"It's unfortunate that you got yourself mixed up in that mess when you've just arrived," Megumi sympathized.

"I guess I have a really bad luck," she muttered.

"What brings you here to Tokyo Aki-dono?" Kenshin inquired.

"I'm looking for someone," she answered.

"Who?" Kaoru asked.

"An old family friend. But I heard he's out of town and I've no idea when he'll be coming back," she explained.

"You really do have the worst luck," Yahiko chuckled.

"Now everyone, it's time for her to rest. Let's continue with the questions later," Megumi shooed everyone away.

"I'm not done eating yet!" Yahiko complained.

"Finish it quickly!" Kaoru snapped.

After a short while, everyone tidied up and went on with their business. Megumi gave her a few doses of medicine before leaving. The only person left in the room with her was Ryuu. He had been very quiet the whole time.

"Hey, why did you –"

"Let's talk about it some other time. I'm really sleepy," she murmured as she settled into her futon. She was sure that the drowsiness was an effect from one of the medicines. The doctor must have given her some kind of sedative to make sure that she sleeps whether she likes it or not.

Ryuu looked like he was about to say something but decided to stop when she rolled to her side and snuggled beneath her blanket.

"You're such an idiot, you know that?" she heard him say after a little while. She only managed a grunt in response. She was too tired to start exchanging insults with him. It seemed that he also decided to let the matter rest for the time being since he didn't say anything more.

Actually, she was intentionally avoiding the topic, and not only because she was sleepy. The truth is, she didn't know how to answer his question. She had no real answer as to why she decided to do what she just did. Her mind had been set the whole time that she would definitely sell him out when things come to worse, but that definitely was not what had happened. She gave a somewhat irritated sigh and shifted again in her futon.

"Sleep well _koguma_," she heard him whisper a while later before medicine and exhaustion finally drifted her to sleep.

* * *

**Reference:**

Ara – could mean any of these depending on how it's used: oh my! / oh my god! / oh! / huh? / oh?

Hai – Yes

Kami/Kamisama – God

Koguma – little/baby bear

Kuso – Damn / Dammit / Damn it

Ma – Well / Well then / So

Nee – suffix used as a shortcut for _onee-chan_ (older sister)

Oi – Hey

Okayu – traditional porridge-like meal, often served on sick people and babies

Oro/Ororo – a unique way of saying '_ara_'

Rurouni – wanderer


End file.
